Irian-PNG border to be military zone
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)