Govt to send joint team to probe Timika ambush<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has decided to send a joint investigating team
\nconsisting of Indonesian Military (TNI) and police officers to
\nprobe the Aug. 31 ambush in Timika, Irian Jaya, as separate
\nprobes by the TNI and police have resulted in conflicting
\nconclusions.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday
\nthat the joint team would start investigating the incident as
\nsoon as possible.<\/p>\n
\"The joint team should start its duty in Timika immediately,\"
\nSusilo said after a Cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n
Two Americans and one Indonesian were killed when unidentified
\ngunmen opened fire on a convoy of buses carrying employees of PT
\nFreeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Freeport McMoran
\non Aug. 31, 2002.<\/p>\n
Six months of investigations conducted separately by the TNI
\nand police yielded conflicting reports on who was behind the
\nattack.<\/p>\n
Police investigators alleged that several military personnel
\nwere behind the attack, while the TNI investigating team
\nconcluded that the Free Papua Movement (OPM) was behind the
\nkilling.<\/p>\n
Last December, TNI and police leaders sent a joint team to
\ninvestigate the killing. The team presented its findings before
\nministers under the coordination of the Ministry of Political and
\nSecurity Affairs last Sunday but failed to shed light on the
\nambush.<\/p>\n
TNI and police leaders as well as ministers under the
\nleadership of Susilo agreed to bring the case to President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Susilo announced after a Cabinet meeting on Monday that a
\njoint team would be sent to Timika, Papua to investigate the
\nambush.<\/p>\n
He said that previous investigations failed to unravel any
\nproof regarding possible involvement of TNI personnel in the
\nkilling.<\/p>\n
\"This is a delicate issue, so I have to underline that so far
\nno groups or people can be named as responsible for the attack,\"
\nSusilo remarked.<\/p>\n
He said that the government would try to explain the situation
\nto the United States government as the killing claimed the lives
\nof two American citizens.<\/p>\n
Separately, TNI Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto reiterated on
\nMonday that none of his soldiers were involved in the deadly
\nshooting.<\/p>\n
\"No TNI soldiers were involved in the ambush,\" he remarked,
\nadding that so far there was no police report that mentioned
\ntheir involvement.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-to-send-joint-team-to-probe-timika-ambush-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}