American ambassador meets PDP officials
American ambassador meets PDP officials
R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
Despite Washington's official stance on Papua, visiting U.S.
Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce met with officials of the
proindependence Papua Presidium Council (PDP) and visited the
grave of former PDP chairman Theys Hiyo Eluway in the Irian Jaya
provincial capital of Jayapura on Monday.
Upon arriving at Sentani airport, Boyce and his entourage were
greeted by a group of traditional dancers who brought them to a
field leading to Theys' tomb where he was asked to lay a floral
wreath.
The ambassador said he was surprised when the dancers and
hundreds of locals "escorted" him and his entourage to Theys'
grave because it was not included on the agenda of their two-day
visit.
Boyce also received an unscheduled lunch hosted by PDP
Secretary General Thaha Al-Hamid in Pondok Ria Restaurant in the
city after meeting with local officials and visiting the state-
run Cenderawasih University.
The lunch and closed-door meeting with the PDP officials
sparked a protest from local police because it was not included
on the ambassador's schedule.
U.S Embassy spokesman Stanley Harsha told the police officers
that according to the schedule, the ambassador and his entourage
was scheduled to take lunch at 2p.m. local time at which time
they were free to do their own thing.
PDP officials who asked for anonymity said that during the
lunch the suspect investigation of Theys' murder was discussed.
The presidium was established three years ago by
proindependence Papuan figures who are fighting for the
province's independence peacefully.
During the meeting with Irian Jaya Governor Jaap Salossa and
military and police officials, Boyce insisted that it would not
support the secessionist movement in the province.
"We do not support the separatist movement which is trying to
separate the province from the Indonesian unitary state," he
said.
The ambassador said his visit was aimed at seeing the
development program in the province under the special autonomy.
He said he also wanted to see the use of the U.S. government's
financial assistance to the province, especially in the education
and health fields.
Meanwhile, some 300 rebels and their families pledging to
resume normal lives, gave themselves up to the local military in
the Botom Subdistrict, Jayawijaya Regency.
May. G.T. Situmorang, spokesman for the Trikora Military
Command overseeing Irian Jaya, said the rebels and their families
were received by Lt. Daru and Lt. Col. Sianturi in a ceremony in
the subdistrict.
The Papuan families were reportedly given financial assistance
and seedlings to resume their normal life in their own villages
in the subdistrict.