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.