Intelligence officer dies as violence escalates in Irian

JAKARTA (JP): The police intelligence officer who was beaten up by student protesters in Jayapura, Irian Jaya, on Friday died in hospital late on Saturday as fresh violence broke out in Biak, officials and media reports said yesterday.

In the latest incident yesterday, security forces armed with rubber bullets opened fire on proindependence protesters, wounding 24, and arrested a further 180 people in Biak, 500 kilometers northwest of Jayapura, Antara reported.

Jayapura Police chief Lt. Col. J.P. Silooy said on Sunday that Sgt. Dahlan had died at the Marthen Indey Military Hospital on Saturday night and that his body was flown back to Jakarta on Sunday morning.

Dahlan was beaten up after he was caught infiltrating a crowd of Cendrawasih University students who were holding a proindependence protest on their campus on Friday.

In the ensuing melee, security personnel opened fire on the students, seriously wounding two.

Law student Steven Suripatty was shot in the head and is currently in a critical condition while junior high school student Korina Onim was hit in her right knee.

Steven was still under intensive care at Jayapura General Hospital while Korina has been moved to an ordinary ward, a hospital official told The Jakarta Post by telephone yesterday.

Antara also quoted Silooy as saying that the students had handed over the gun Dahlan had on his possession when he walked into the midst of the demonstrating students.

The University's deputy rector Din Dimara said on Saturday that an independent investigation team would be formed today by a number of non-governmental organizations grouped together in the Cooperation Forum.

Meanwhile, yesterday's incident in Biak occurred when security personnel forcibly dispersed an estimated 700 proindependence protesters who were raising the Free Papua Movement flag yesterday morning, Antara reported.

Irian Jaya Police chief Brig. Gen. Hotman Siagian said the stern measures were taken because the authorities could not tolerate the wave of secessionist demonstrations that began on July 2.

"What they (the protesters) have been seeking through the Jayapura, Biak and Sorong demonstrations is an independent state. The security forces cannot tolerate that," he said.

The authorities say they have brought the situation in Sorong, a town 1,080 kilometers northwest of Jayapura, under control after angry protesters vandalized the local legislative council buildings and several private and government properties on July 2.

The Trikora Military Command, which oversees security in Maluku and Irian Jaya, has formed a 13 member team to investigate the troubles in Jayapura, Biak, and Sorong.

Spokesman for the Trikora Military Command Lt. Col. Herry Risdiyanto said yesterday that the team would be led by the regional Military Police chief, Col. Hendra Giri. (byg)