Three killed, four injured in Abepura<\/p>\n
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Fresh violence broke out in Irian
\nJaya as three people, including two policemen, were killed and
\nfour officers injured when some 100 armed rioters attacked the
\npolice station in Abepura just before dawn on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The attackers, armed with handmade rifles, arrows, swords and
\nmachetes, ransacked shops, homes and restaurants on their way to
\nthe police station.<\/p>\n
Irian Jaya Police chief Brig. Gen. SY Wenas confirmed the
\nviolence, saying that police could no longer condone such acts
\nand that a shoot-on-sight rule must be upheld against anyone
\nfound instigating uproar.<\/p>\n
Wenas suspected that the Free Papua Organization (OPM) militia
\nand another rebellious group called the Penis Gourd (Koteka)
\nTaskforce were behind the unrest.<\/p>\n
The fatalities were Sgt. Maj. Petrus Epan of Abepura Police,
\nSecond. Pvt. David Indra, a member of the National Police's
\nMobile Brigade in Jakarta, and Markus Pandana, a security guard
\nat the local regional autonomy office.<\/p>\n
"Those injured were Second Sgt. Yoyo, First Sgt. Darmanto,
\nChief Sgt. Mesak Kareni and Mobile Brigade member Second Pvt.
\nHeru. They are all being treated at Hamadi Navy Hospital in
\nJayapura," said Wenas.<\/p>\n
One policeman was killed by an arrow and the other was axed,
\nJayapura Police chief Supt. Daud Sihombing said.<\/p>\n
Following the rampage, police detained 99 people, mostly
\nstudents from the Nayak and Ninmim dormitories in Jayawijaya, for
\ntheir alleged involvement in the fatal assault.<\/p>\n
The assailants were believed to have descended from the
\nmountainous areas of the Baliem valley in central Irian Jaya.
\nThey were seeking revenge over what they called "arbitrary"
\nlowering of the Morning Star separatist flag on Dec. 1, he said.<\/p>\n
"We are hunting them," Wenas said, adding that the manhunt
\norder also targeted those who had fled to the border between
\nIrian Jaya and Papua New Guinea.<\/p>\n
Police had banned people from hoisting the Morning Star flag
\nin all parts of the easternmost province of Irian Jaya, one day
\nafter Irianese commemorated their (claimed) independence on Dec.
\n1.<\/p>\n
Clashes between security officers and locals supporting the
\nseparatist movement erupted when police asked locals to lower the
\nMorning Star flags.<\/p>\n
At least ten people were reportedly killed in a series of
\nviolent outbreaks across the province on Dec. 2.<\/p>\n
Visit<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman Wahid said on Thursday that he would
\nvisit the troubled province on Dec. 25 to attend Christmas
\ncelebrations there.<\/p>\n
The visit to Irian Jaya will be less than one week after
\nAbdurrahman's planned trip to the volatile province of Aceh.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after meeting Abdurrahman at the Merdeka
\nPalace, secretary of the Irian Jaya chapter of the Communion of
\nChurches in Indonesia (PGI) Karel Phil Erari quoted the President
\nas saying that he would visit the provincial town of Jayapura on
\nDec. 25.<\/p>\n
"In the afternoon of December 25, the President will address a
\nseminar in Timika and he will then fly to Jayapura to attend
\nChristmas celebrations there," Karel said.<\/p>\n
Karel said his meeting with the President on Thursday was
\naimed at expressing concern about the deteriorating situation in
\nIrian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Also present on Thursday were legislators representing the
\nprovince -- Simon Patrice Morin and Lukas Degey -- and Irianese
\ncommunity leader Michael Menufandu.<\/p>\n
The President visited Jayapura last year and he declared at
\nthat time that it would be called Papua, the local name for the
\nterritory.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Defense Mahfud MD said on Thursday the
\ngovernment had renewed its warning that firmer measures would be
\ntaken to address the separatist movement there.<\/p>\n
"The government will never let any piece of the unitary state
\nof Indonesia secede from us. The best thing we can propose is to
\noffer special autonomy status," Mahfud said after a Cabinet
\ncoordination meeting on political, social and security affairs.<\/p>\n
When asked about the increasing tension sparked by OPM
\nactivities near the border with Papua New Guinea, Mahfud said he
\nwas not well informed on the matter.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Administrative Reforms Ryaas Rasyid, who
\nalso attended the ministerial meeting, said the drafting of
\nspecial autonomy status for Irian Jaya was underway. The same
\ndraft for Aceh, meanwhile, is nearing completion and is set for
\ndeliberation at the House of Representatives. (byg\/34\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-killed-four-injured-in-abepura-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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