Govt OKs FBI involvement in Papua investigation

Govt OKs FBI involvement in Papua investigation

Tiarma Siboro
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

The government said on Monday that it would allow U.S. federal
agents to participate in the investigation of the Aug. 30
shooting at the PT Freeport Indonesia gold mine in Timika, Papua,
which killed two American workers and one Indonesian.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the government, however, would only
allow their participation as part of a team led by the Indonesian
police.

Susilo said the U.S. had a right to seek information about the
deadly ambush at PT Freeport because "two of its citizens were
killed in the incident".

"The establishment of a joint investigative team involving the
Indonesian police and FBI officers is possible, but we must first
make draw up a framework for collaboration to avoid any excesses,
such as the taking over of our (Indonesian) police's functions
there," Susilo told reporters.

Even so, Susilo could not yet say how many FBI officers would
be involved in the investigation as currently there were two
separate investigations being carried out respectively by the
police and the military.

"We are still conducting a further evaluation of the results
of the investigations carried out by the local police as well as
by the 514th battalion, which was in charge of guarding Freeport,
as we found some differences between these ... and we need to
synchronize them," he said.

U.S. President George W. Bush earlier called for a Bali-style
joint investigation into the Freeport ambush and made a request
to Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri in the past two
weeks.

FBI officers have reportedly visited Papua twice to monitor
the progress of the Indonesian investigation into the ambush,
which was carried out by unknown gunmen on employees of an
international school operated by Freeport.

Bush's request was likely made following the slow progress and
uncertainty surrounding the investigations being carried out by
both the Indonesian police and the military.

Indonesian police in Papua earlier alleged the involvement of
several officers of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) in the
ambush, which killed three and injured about a dozen others.

The police also said that they had failed to carry out a
thorough investigation because "we cannot question military
officers".

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has pleaded innocence and blamed
Kelly Kwalik, a leader of the separatist Free Papua Movement
(OPM), who has denied any links to the attack.