Irian rebel leader confirmed dead

Irian rebel leader confirmed dead

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Secretary-General of the Papuan
Presidium Council Taha Alhamid said here on Sunday that the dead
body found at the Kumundu river, one of the tributaries of the
Maro river, in Merauke regency, Irian Jaya province, last Tuesday
was that of Willem Onde, the leader of the Papua Liberation Front
Army (TPNP) in Merauke.

Taha informed the The Jakarta Post of this at his residence in
Jayapura seconds after he received confirmation by telephone from
Merauke that it was Willem Onde's body.

"The body of Onde's adjutant Juhanis Toming was also found at
the same place and at the same time. They both had gunshot
wounds. Onde had two gunshot wounds in the chest," Taha said. He
added that he did not want to speculate about who was responsible
for the death of the two. "But what I do know is that there has
been no rift between the TPNP and the Free Papua Movement (OPM)."

The TPNP is the armed wing of the OPM.

According to Taha, Onde sent a letter to President Megawati
Soekarnoputri in August, asking for, among other things,
amnesty for five functionaries of the Papuan Presidium Council
who are charged with subversion. The five are now under house
arrest.

"In the letter Onde also demanded that political talks on
Irian Jaya be continued," Taha said.

Onde, known for his closeness to the Indonesian Army in
Merauke, was believed to have been involved in the two-week
abduction of 13 employees of the Asiki, Merauke-based South
Korean timber firm PT Korindo, which took place early in January
of this year.

Taha said that everybody should remain calm, and should not be
provoked by the death of Onde.

Irian Jaya Police spokesman Comr. Zulkifli AR said on Sunday
that he had not yet received an official report about Onde's
death. "We just heard about it on the radio. We cannot speculate
about who was behind the murder or what the motive was."

Earlier on Saturday, Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen.
Mahidin Simbolon said that he had heard nothing about the finding
of Onde's body. (35/edt/sur).