Irian-PNG border to be military zone

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) will declare Irian Jaya borders with Papua New Guinea a military operations zone due to increased separatist rebel activities there, a military spokesman said.

Maj. Gen. Amir Sembiring, chief of the Trikora Regional Military Command (which covers Irian Jaya and Maluku provinces), said in the Irian Jaya capital of Jayapura on Monday the areas were a military operations zone before 1998.

The status was lifted in 1998, shortly after the Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Wiranto lifted the status off Aceh.

It will now be enforced again after increased reports of members of the separatist movement, known locally as Security Disturbance Gangs or GPK, harassing or terrorizing people living in the border areas, Sembiring was quoted by Antara as saying.

In the latest incident, a gang of 30 men attacked Arso subdistrict, killed three residents, injured three others and abducted 11 resident employees of Arso II plantation. Most of the hostages were women.

The gang used sharp weapons such as arrows, machetes, lances and also guns. After the attack, the gang disappeared by crossing the borderline with PNG, he said.

Sembiring said the military operations zone status would not apply to the entire province of Irian Jaya but just to regions adjoining the border with PNG.

The imposition of the military operations status would mean that security forces could detain anyone suspected of having disturbed public order or who carry sharp weapons, Antara said.

The Army previously had asked the rebels to return to their homes and they would be welcomed by Indonesian authorities.

In addition, Sembiring said, he had also accepted an offer from GPK leader Mathias Wenda to hold a dialog.

"Unfortunately, the plan could not be carried out because Wenda refused the suggestion that he come to the dialog (as an individual rather than) as the leader of the GPK," Sembiring said.

About the Arso killings, Sembiring said the authorities were investigating the case and also trying to catch the suspected perpetrators.

"We have a list of the names of the GPK gang members, so as soon as we get information about the suspected killers, we will know to which group they belong," Sembiring said.

The Army had sent two helicopters to Irian Jaya to help search for and rescue the 11 hostages, he said.

The chairman of Irian Jaya's Traditional Consultative Board, Theys H. Eluay, deplored the Arso killing.

"I deeply regret the brutality and inhuman act of the rebel group against innocent civilians," Eluay told Antara in Jayapura on Tuesday.

However, Eluay protested claims that the killers were part of a group of Irianese calling for the establishment of a free West Papua state.

"As a leader of West Papua, I do not agree with claims that the killing was committed by the people of West Papua," he said. (swe)