Fourth victim dies in bloody Timika clashes

The Jakarta Post, Timika/Jakarta

Despite police reinforcements, the death toll has now risen to four in the bloody clashes between Papuans who are in favor of and those who are against the recent formal establishment of Central Irian Jaya province.

Lambertus Unioma, who was in favor of the new province, died of serious injuries at his residence in SP II village in Mimika late on Wednesday. With the latest death, there are hopes that the situation will now calm down as the clashes have claimed the lives of two supporters from each of the conflicting camps.

A tribal leader from the highlands had refused to try to stop the clashes and resolve the matter peacefully because his group wanted another victim from the rival group to match the deaths on his own side.

Meanwhile, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said the sending of 100 more riot police to Timika on Thursday was expected to help calm down the situation and stop the clashes.

He said that according to the latest report he had received from Timika, the situation was gradually returning to normal but security personnel remained on alert in strategic areas of the town so as to prevent any more clashes.

The police had also enhanced security in the SP II area, the stronghold of Papuans opposing the province's partition.

Timika legislative council speaker Andareas Anggaibak, who inaugurated the new province on Saturday, said his supporters were holding talks with the rival group to settle the conflict in accordance with local customs.

Despite the absence of clashes on Thursday, the situation in the regency town was still tense, with the opposing groups still in evidence armed with machetes, bows and arrows, and spears. Riot police have been deployed to keep the two groups apart.

As of Thursday evening, Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Budi Utomo was still trying to negotiate a settlement between the warring camps to resolve the conflict peacefully and in accordance with local customs.

"The police chief met the two opposing groups separately. We are still negotiating with them to restore peace," Timika Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Paulus Waterpauw said.

Meanwhile, Papuan figures voiced approval of the government's decision to delay the new province's establishment, but warned it should serve as a first step toward a root-and-branch review of the government's repressive policies in Papua, and to replace these with pro-Papuan policies.

Rev. Herman Saud, the chairman of the Council of Papuan Evangelical Churches, said the government had the power to review any laws affecting Papua, but that this should be done in the interests of the Papuan people.

"The government should comply with all the laws that have been passed, and whatever is done should be designed to improve the Papuan people's wellbeing rather than to further the central government's interests," he said.

The government said on Wednesday that it would amend a number of conflicting laws on Papua, including Law No. 21 on special autonomy, Law No. 45 on the formation of West and Central Irian Jaya provinces, and Presidential Instruction No. 1/2003 on the acceleration of the two provinces' establishment.

Herman objected to the government's plan to review the special autonomy law as it had only been in effect for two years.

Timika councillor Agustin Iwangin said all sides involved in drafting the conflicting laws should take part in the review process, but warned that the review must not bring more misery to the Papuan people.

In Jakarta, dozens of Papuan students and youths staged a rally near the House of Representatives complex, demanding that the government and military stop orchestrating conflicts in their home province.

The rally drew the attention of passersby as the protesters were dressed in traditional customs. Their protest led to traffic congestion along Jl. Gatot Subroto.

In a related development, the home ministry regretted the police's statement that the ministry and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) were behind the clashes, saying the police should "clarify" the statement.

Home ministry spokesman Nyoman Sumaryadi said it was inconceivable that his ministry could have been behind the clashes.

The government's decision to restore the status quo in Central Irian Jaya was also applauded by the House of Representatives.

"That is the right decision. We have to cool things down," said House Commission II deputy chairman Ferry Mursyidan Baldan.

Ferry, who was also involved in the deliberation of the relevant laws, said the House was ready to review the legislation with the government so as to produce better policies in the future for the resource-rich province.

Fellow legislator Hamdan Zoelva concurred and said the situation in Papua would likely worsen unless prudent decisions were made.