Susilo warns Papuans over separatist flag raising<\/p>\n
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua<\/p>\n
Chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono renewed the
\ngovernment's warning against separatists in the province of Papua
\non Tuesday. He said separatists would face tougher action from
\nsecurity forces should they go ahead with their secessionist
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
The statement was made during his visit to the provincial
\ncapital of Jayapura only one day after a Papuan was shot dead and
\ntwo others were injured by police, while raising a separatist
\nflag on Monday. Two others were detained for questioning.<\/p>\n
Susilo said that he regretted that the flag raising incident
\nhad occurred. He said police personnel had been forced to fire
\nshots at the separatists.<\/p>\n
Such an incident should not have taken place as the government
\nfirmly stated that the unitary state of Indonesia is final and no
\nmore territories can break away from the country after East Timor
\nin 1999, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Any separatist movement against Indonesia will be dealt with
\nseverely,\" the visiting coordinating minister for political and
\nsecurity affairs threatened.<\/p>\n
Susilo ordered a thorough investigation into the flag raising
\nincident to prevent \"misunderstanding by the public\" and to
\ndiscover those behind it.<\/p>\n
He said that police were handling the case of the two wounded
\nseparatists and their two colleagues (currently being detained).<\/p>\n
\"I have received a report from the Papua police chief that the
\ntwo injured are being treated and that those detained will be
\ndealt with according to the legal process,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Budi Utomo said that the two
\narrested separatists told investigators that the flag was raised
\ndue to an order by Matias Wenda, a senior leader of the rebel
\nFree Papua Movement (OPM).<\/p>\n
\"As a result of their confession we will discover whether the
\norder came from Matias Wenda,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The flag was raised outside the Jayawijaya regency legislative
\ncouncil in the capital city of Wamena by five Papuan separatists
\nto mark what they claimed to be the New Melanesian State's
\nanniversary on July 7.<\/p>\n
The ceremony turned violent when police tried to break up the
\ngathering by firing warning shots. Police had spoken earlier to
\nthe separatists for over an hour about lowering the flag, but the
\nseparatists had refused.<\/p>\n
Police said that they fired shots into the air three times but
\nthe five men responded by attacking the police with traditional
\nweapons, such as daggers and bows.<\/p>\n
The police continued to fire shots at the separatists killing
\nYus Heselo, 30, and wounding Elias Asso and Welmus Asso.<\/p>\n
Two other separatists, identified as Gustaf Ayomi and John
\nHilapok, escaped without injury and were detained for questioning
\nat the Jayawijaya police office.<\/p>\n
Utomo said the separatists were Papuans from the towns of
\nManokwari and Serui. They came to Jayapura on June 30 before
\ntraveling to Wamena to fly the separatist flag.<\/p>\n
The New Melanesian group is a new separatist group in Papua.
\nTwo other separatist organizations, the OPM and the Papua
\nPresidium Council (PDP), exist in the troubled province.<\/p>\n
During the two day trip Susilo also visited the Papua Police
\nHeadquarters to inspect home-made firearms and other weapons,
\nwhich had recently been confiscated from local people.<\/p>\n
The chief security minister also spoke to at least 42 former
\nmembers of the OPM, who had surrendered to local police.<\/p>\n
In a ceremony organized by local security forces on June 30,
\n2003, the former separatist rebels had sworn an oath declaring
\nthat they voluntarily rejoined with the unitary state of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
OPM rebels were blamed for a series of incidents involving
\nhostages in Papua in their fight for independence from the
\ncountry.<\/p>",
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