Police arrest three over separatist street parade<\/p>\n
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua<\/p>\n
Police here dispersed a separatist street parade at the
\nCendrawasih University compound, arrested three people and
\nconfiscated two flags representing the so-called state of Western
\nMelanesia.<\/p>\n
The detained separatists have been identified as Edison
\nWaromi, 39, Yordan Ick, 46, and Herman Wanggai, 27, who presided
\nover the parade attended by some 50 other separatists.<\/p>\n
The three were rounded up while flying two separatist flags
\nduring a speech advocating a free Western Melanesia state at the
\nevent, which was meant to mark the 14th anniversary of the state
\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
Abepura Police chief First Insp. Basman Saleh, who led the
\npolice operation, said the three detainees were undergoing a
\nthorough interrogation.<\/p>\n
The three are being interrogated on suspicion of trying to
\nundermine the state by advocating separatism.<\/p>\n
He said the police arrived at the site when Herman and Edison
\nwere making speeches and Yordan was about to hoist a Western
\nMelanesia state flag.<\/p>\n
Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Totok Kasmiarto said the
\ncelebration was preceded by a meeting on Wednesday at Edison's
\nhouse, which was attended by around 100 people. The meeting, he
\nsaid, discussed plans for Saturday's pro-independence street
\nparade.<\/p>\n
\"Such a celebration is unconstitutional and the police will
\nnot allow it to continue,\" Totok told journalists.<\/p>\n
He elaborated that the suspects would be charged with
\nviolating Articles 106 and 108 of the Criminal Code, which carry
\na punishment of up to 20 years in jail or a life sentence.<\/p>\n
The Melanesian separatist movement started in 1988 when its
\nleader Thom Wapay Wainggai declared the independence of the
\nprovince on Dec. 14.<\/p>\n
Thom, along with Edison and Yordan, were jailed soon after the
\ndeclaration at Manggala Stadium in Jayapura, Papua, but Thom died
\nin 1996 while serving out his sentence in Jakarta. When his body
\nwas taken to Abepura for burial, the funeral procession sparked a
\nriot around the city and a number of rioters were arrested for
\ninterrogation.<\/p>\n
Although separatist rebels claim that Papua attained
\nindependence in 1961 when the Dutch withdrew, Indonesia won
\nsovereignty over Papua, then known as West Irian, in 1969 after
\nthe United Nations allowed an integration referendum.<\/p>\n
The government has offered special autonomy to Papua to
\nappease the separatists, giving the troubled province a much
\ngreater share of oil and gas revenues along with other
\nconcessions.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has stated that she would not
\ntolerate any independence celebration other than the Aug. 17
\nNational Independence Day, and has ordered stern measures against
\nall rebels and separatists.<\/p>\n
Police in Papua have also arrested at least 21 people this
\nmonth for raising the \"Morning Star\" flag in Manokwari in
\nnorthwestern Papua.<\/p>",
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