Irian rebel leader confirmed dead<\/p>\n
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Secretary-General of the Papuan
\nPresidium Council Taha Alhamid said here on Sunday that the dead
\nbody found at the Kumundu river, one of the tributaries of the
\nMaro river, in Merauke regency, Irian Jaya province, last Tuesday
\nwas that of Willem Onde, the leader of the Papua Liberation Front
\nArmy (TPNP) in Merauke.<\/p>\n
Taha informed the The Jakarta Post of this at his residence in
\nJayapura seconds after he received confirmation by telephone from
\nMerauke that it was Willem Onde's body.<\/p>\n
"The body of Onde's adjutant Juhanis Toming was also found at
\nthe same place and at the same time. They both had gunshot
\nwounds. Onde had two gunshot wounds in the chest," Taha said. He
\nadded that he did not want to speculate about who was responsible
\nfor the death of the two. "But what I do know is that there has
\nbeen no rift between the TPNP and the Free Papua Movement (OPM)."<\/p>\n
The TPNP is the armed wing of the OPM.<\/p>\n
According to Taha, Onde sent a letter to President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri in August, asking for, among other things,
\namnesty for five functionaries of the Papuan Presidium Council
\nwho are charged with subversion. The five are now under house
\narrest.<\/p>\n
"In the letter Onde also demanded that political talks on
\nIrian Jaya be continued," Taha said.<\/p>\n
Onde, known for his closeness to the Indonesian Army in
\nMerauke, was believed to have been involved in the two-week
\nabduction of 13 employees of the Asiki, Merauke-based South
\nKorean timber firm PT Korindo, which took place early in January
\nof this year.<\/p>\n
Taha said that everybody should remain calm, and should not be
\nprovoked by the death of Onde.<\/p>\n
Irian Jaya Police spokesman Comr. Zulkifli AR said on Sunday
\nthat he had not yet received an official report about Onde's
\ndeath. "We just heard about it on the radio. We cannot speculate
\nabout who was behind the murder or what the motive was."<\/p>\n
Earlier on Saturday, Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen.
\nMahidin Simbolon said that he had heard nothing about the finding
\nof Onde's body. (35\/edt\/sur).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/irian-rebel-leader-confirmed-dead-1447893297",
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