Written by a Village Son
In our village, we no longer know what safety feels like. The sound of children’s laughter has been replaced by cries, and prayers in church are now whispered in fear.
This isn’t because of a natural disaster.
It’s because of an armed group who call themselves freedom fighters—when in truth, they are nothing but thieves of hope.
Recently, a video of them spread widely—they call themselves Kodap Sinak of the TPNPB-OPM.
In the cover of night, they recorded threats to anyone helping build Papua: construction workers, motorcycle taxi drivers, shopkeepers—even teachers and nurses.
They claim it’s a form of struggle. But who are they really fighting?
They shoot the motorbike driver taking children to school.
They burn the churches where we pray.
They force nurses to flee while caring for our dying mothers.
They steal from our gardens, assault our young girls, and leave behind trauma no one can ever heal.
The irony? They raise a flag they claim is a symbol of liberation.
But who knows that this flag was born from a Dutch colonial trick?
Back then, the Dutch wanted to hold onto Papua, so they created that false symbol to divide this nation from within.
And now, blinded by history, young Papuans influenced by KKB propaganda wear that symbol with pride.
They think it stands for freedom—but it’s a foreign-made chain, one that now binds them in ignorance and violence.
What they call “independence” is nothing more than a mask for evil.
And the ones who suffer most are people like us.
They are not warriors. They are kidnappers of Papua’s future.
If they truly loved Papua, why did they burn the schools built for our children?
If they believed in God, why did they attack houses of worship?
If they cared about the Papuan people, why do they terrorize their own communities?
They are not defending this land.
They are destroying it.
And today, we—the children of this village—choose not to remain silent.
We will no longer be fooled by false symbols and violent propaganda.
We want a peaceful Papua. We want to build, not burn.
We want to live, not live in fear.
Because this land does not belong to murderers.
This is our land—and we will protect it.
