Irian Jaya Police to launch raid on stolen weapons, ammunitions
Irian Jaya Police to launch raid on stolen weapons, ammunitions
R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
The Papua Police plan to launch raids on houses belonging to
suspected rebels in the regency of Manokwari to search for three
firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition that were seized
from local security forces last year.
The operation will be undertaken by a team of antiterrorist
police later this month in Wasior subdistrict, Deputy Papua
Police chief Brig. Gen. Raziman Tarigan said here on Tuesday.
He declined to specify the date.
The three weapons were part of a haul of six SS-1 rifles that
members of the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM) seized
during an attack on the Wasior police station in May, 2001, which
resulted in the deaths of five Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel.
The attackers surrendered three of the weapons on Dec. 27,
2001, after intensive negotiations in which the authorities
agreed to accept the rebels' demand for their three unnamed
mediators be hired as employees of the U.S. copper mining company
PT Freeport Indonesia based in Mimika.
A source told The Jakarta Post, however, that the local
authorities broke their promise, prompting the rebels to refuse
to surrender the remaining three rifles.
Raziman, speaking to journalists after receiving Wasior
community figures at his office in Jayapura, said the authorities
were being forced to conduct the raids as the separatists refused
to hand over the last three weapons based upon a "persuasive
approach".
"They seem to be playing a game with us," he said. "Now we
have lost patience and will launch the operation by late April at
the latest. Every thing has been designed to minimize the number
of victims."
He said Papua Brimob Task Force chief Comr. Robby Kaligis
would directly lead the raids to recover the seized rifles.
Separately, Robby told the Post that at least three houses
would be targeted in the planned operation, which he said would
be conducted by 10 Brimob members in the vanguard, including
himself, followed by other personnel in the rearguard.
He accused the OPM members of trying to frighten Papuans using
the three rifles and the stolen ammunition.
Phill Erary, a priest who is currently serving as a mediator
for the rebels, said the OPM members were ready to surrender the
weapons on condition that their latest demands, namely that the
local government renovate Papuans' damaged houses, streets,
bridges and other public facilities in their villages, was
accepted.
Erary urged the police to cancel the planned operation, which
he said would only foment new unrest in Wasior.
He said he was optimistic that the police would still be able
to recover the last three firearms through a nonviolent approach,
adding that he was ready to help any such moves in May.
"We hope the police will postpone the raids and reopen
negotiations with the OPM to achieve an agreement," Erary said.