Flag raising ends with death of separatist
Flag raising ends with death of separatist
Nethy Dharma Somba , The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua
The Jayawijaya Police in Papua province shot dead a separatist
and injured two others as they hoisted a their group's flag
outside the regency's legislative council on Monday.
Aimed to mark the New Melanesian State's anniversary on July
7, the flag was raised at 2:30 p.m. local time by five Papuan
separatists who carried traditional weapons, such as daggers and
bows.
The ceremony turned violent when police tried to disperse the
gathering by firing warning shots. Police had earlier spoken to
the separatists for an hour about lowering the flag, but they had
refused.
Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Budi Utomo said his officers
fired shots in the air three times, but the five men did not
respond and instead attacked them with their traditional weapons.
The police eventually fired shots at the separatists, killing
Yus Heselo, 30, and wounding Elias Asso and Welmus Asso, he said.
In Jakarta, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar confirmed
that the Jayawijaya Police had acted according to procedure,
firing warning shots and then shooting in self-defense when the
separatists turned on them.
The two injured separatists are being treated at a hospital in
Mawena, the capital of Jayawijaya.
Two other separatists, identified as Gustaf Ayomi and John
Hilapok, who both escaped the without injury, were detained for
questioning at the local police office.
Da'i said more Papuan separatists would likely be arrested in
connection with the incident.
The police investigators who questioned Ayomi and Hilapok said
the separatists came from the town of Kurima and that several of
them had often stayed in Wamena.
The police also seized three New Melanesian flags, three
daggers, two bows and 19 arrows from the suspects.
The separatists could be charged with treason against the
state, attacking police officers and possession of sharp weapons.
"We charge them with violating Articles 106 and 110 of the
Criminal Code on offenses against the state," said Utomo, who was
accompanied by his deputy Brig. Gen. Tommy Jacobus.
"The council's building is a symbol of the government, so
their offense is categorized as a crime against the sovereign
government. They will also be charged with violating Law No.
12/1951 on the possession of firearms and sharp weapons," he
added.
He said the situation remained under control in Wamena despite
the incident, and that there was no need to beef up security in
the town, where one Mobile Brigade platoon was already stationed.
Responding to the incident, Papua Governor Jaap Salossa called
for a thorough investigation into the separatists' activity to
uncover the masterminds who "had tried to provoke Papuans into
resisting the government".
He urged the Papuan people not to be provoked easily into
fomenting antigovernment plots that could be detrimental to
themselves and the province.
"We have insisted that the government be tougher against
separatism, but why are there still groups trying to resist it
(the government)? Such groups should be dealt with firmly to stop
their activities," Salossa said.
The New Melanesian group has recently surfaced as a new
separatist group in Papua. So far, two other separatist
organizations, the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and the Papua
Presidium Council (PDP), exist in the troubled province.
The Monday incident came one day before the security minister
was to visit Papua from July 8 to July 9 to speak at the
University of Cendrawasih and to open an event organized by the
Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI).