Govt to send joint team to probe Timika ambush

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has decided to send a joint investigating team consisting of Indonesian Military (TNI) and police officers to probe the Aug. 31 ambush in Timika, Irian Jaya, as separate probes by the TNI and police have resulted in conflicting conclusions.

Coordinating Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday that the joint team would start investigating the incident as soon as possible.

"The joint team should start its duty in Timika immediately," Susilo said after a Cabinet meeting.

Two Americans and one Indonesian were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a convoy of buses carrying employees of PT Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Freeport McMoran on Aug. 31, 2002.

Six months of investigations conducted separately by the TNI and police yielded conflicting reports on who was behind the attack.

Police investigators alleged that several military personnel were behind the attack, while the TNI investigating team concluded that the Free Papua Movement (OPM) was behind the killing.

Last December, TNI and police leaders sent a joint team to investigate the killing. The team presented its findings before ministers under the coordination of the Ministry of Political and Security Affairs last Sunday but failed to shed light on the ambush.

TNI and police leaders as well as ministers under the leadership of Susilo agreed to bring the case to President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Susilo announced after a Cabinet meeting on Monday that a joint team would be sent to Timika, Papua to investigate the ambush.

He said that previous investigations failed to unravel any proof regarding possible involvement of TNI personnel in the killing.

"This is a delicate issue, so I have to underline that so far no groups or people can be named as responsible for the attack," Susilo remarked.

He said that the government would try to explain the situation to the United States government as the killing claimed the lives of two American citizens.

Separately, TNI Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto reiterated on Monday that none of his soldiers were involved in the deadly shooting.

"No TNI soldiers were involved in the ambush," he remarked, adding that so far there was no police report that mentioned their involvement.