JP\/5\/attack<\/p>\n
Gunmen block release of bodies in Papua<\/p>\n
Nethy Dharma Somba
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jayapura<\/p>\n
A group of suspected Papuan separatists remained in control of a
\nhamlet in Puncak Jaya on Friday, as efforts to negotiate the
\nrelease of bodies of five migrants killed in a Tuesday attack
\nfailed and fears rose of further bloodshed.<\/p>\n
A group of gunmen on Friday prohibited two priests and five
\nother negotiators from entering Tinggi Nambut and removing the
\nbodies of the five victims (not six as reported on Thursday).<\/p>\n
\"Our seven messengers tried to negotiate in order to evacuate
\nthe victims, but were blocked by four armed men before arriving
\nat the hamlet,\" Paniai deputy chief Comr. Wempy Batlayeri told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"They have returned to (regency capital) Mulia,\" Wempy said.<\/p>\n
A newly created regency in Papua, Puncak Jaya, does not yet
\nhave a district police station.<\/p>\n
The Puncak Jaya administration said it was still attempting to
\nnegotiate with the armed group to evacuate the bodies from the
\nlocation. \"So far, we are still making persuasive overtures,\"
\nWempy said.<\/p>\n
Efforts to remove the bodies from Tinggi Nambut began on
\nWednesday but security forces were unable to enter the hamlet.<\/p>\n
The armed group earlier destroyed five bridges linking roads
\nto the hamlet and felled trees over roads to the area. They were
\nalso reported to have set fire to buildings.<\/p>\n
Papua Governor Jaap Solossa has called for security forces to
\ntake decisive action against the unknown number of gunmen, who
\nauthorities believe are members of the separatist Free Papua
\nOrganization (OPM), in order to prevent disorder from spreading
\nto other areas.<\/p>\n
Ten police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers were being sent on
\nFriday to Mulia from the neighboring Enarotali region to help
\nmore than 100 police and military personnel already deployed in
\nthe area.<\/p>\n
Papua Police have ordered their Mimika district office to
\ndispatch dozens of officers to Mulia, while the Jayawijaya Police
\nwere asked to remain on standby.<\/p>\n
Despite the latest killings, Salossa said Papua should not be
\nconsidered unsafe as the violence had taken place in a remote
\narea.<\/p>\n
Salossa said since the special autonomy law for Papua was
\nimplemented in 2002, the province's economy had improved and
\nlocals were not easily provoked by sporadic attacks blamed on OPM
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's ambush was launched at about 11 p.m. when five hard-
\ntop jeeps were stopped by the armed assailants who then shot dead
\nall of their drivers; migrants mostly from Makassar, South
\nSulawesi.<\/p>\n
Col. W.P. Simanjuntak, deputy chief of the intelligence
\ndivision of Trikora Military Command, overseeing Papua, said on
\nThursday the cars were carrying construction workers to Mulia
\nfrom the Ilu district.<\/p>\n
The remaining workers, Papuan residents, had been contracted
\nto build a road in Ilu. They escaped the ambush and fled to
\nMulia, where they reported the attack to soldiers.<\/p>\n
The incident was the third attack in Tinggi Nambut allegedly
\nby Papuan rebels during the past three months. The first violence
\nerupted on Aug. 17, 2004 when two rebels injured two soldiers on
\npatrol.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 14, soldiers exchanged gunfire with OPM members,
\ninjuring one rebel and one soldier.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp5attack-1447899208",
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