Nelson Sarira, A Survivor of the KKB Massacre that Killed 8 PTT Employees

The attack of the armed criminal group (KKB) on Wednesday (2/3/2022) in Beoga District, Puncak Regency, Papua which killed 8 telecommunication workers still leaves deep sorrow for the people of Indonesia. 

Eight people including employees of PT Palapa Timur Telematika (PTT), contractors, and local residents who accompanied the repair of Telkomsel’s tower base transceiver station (BTS) 3 were killed by KKB.

This incident was discovered when one of the workers who survived, Nelson Sarira, sent a danger code through closed-circuit television (CCTV) located in the tower.

KKB Attack
Nelson said the attack occurred at around 04.00 WIT where he and his team were resting. A total of 10 people then entered the camp carrying sharp weapons, and massacred the team group by slitting one by one.

Nelson managed to jump out of the camp because of his position at the end and immediately ran to hide on the hill. At around 07.00 WITA when the situation seemed safer, Nelson returned to the camp and saw that eight of his colleagues had died.

In a critical situation, Nelson then sent the danger code via CCTV in BTS Tower 3 at 13.00 WIT, and the code was monitored in the afternoon at 16.00 WIT at the PTT Head Office in Jakarta.

Nelson was successfully evacuated by helicopter on Saturday (5/3/2022) due to unfavourable weather conditions. Combined personnel consisting of five Penerbad personnel and one member of the Gakkum Ops Damai Cartenz Task Force evacuated by involving two helicopters, namely the Komala Indonesia AS 350 B3E/PK-KIE helicopter and the Penerbad Bell 412EP/HA-5177 (Aircover) helicopter.

Nelson, who served as the Department of FOP East Palapa Telematics, is currently still being treated at the Timika Hospital, Mimika Regency.

Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) Condemns The Attack

APJII called the attacks on PT PTT employees, contractors and local residents extremely brutal. The chairman of APJII, Muhammad Arif, emphasized the huge losses incurred as a result of this ruthless attack.

“APJII condemns the rioters who sacrificed civilians and disrupted telecommunication infrastructure,” said APJII chairman Muhammad Arif in a written statement received, Friday (4/3/2022) evening WIB.

Arif assessed that the attack could also have a broad impact on Papuan communication network services. Because they attacked and killed employees who were repairing telecommunications infrastructure in Kago Village, Ilaga District, Puncak Regency.

For APJII, they are telecommunications workers who are frontline fighters with a noble task of connecting information to the public in Eastern Indonesia.

Adapted from: TV One, dan Liputan 6.