JP/5/attack

JP/5/attack

Gunmen block release of bodies in Papua

Nethy Dharma Somba
The Jakarta Post/Jayapura

A group of suspected Papuan separatists remained in control of a
hamlet in Puncak Jaya on Friday, as efforts to negotiate the
release of bodies of five migrants killed in a Tuesday attack
failed and fears rose of further bloodshed.

A group of gunmen on Friday prohibited two priests and five
other negotiators from entering Tinggi Nambut and removing the
bodies of the five victims (not six as reported on Thursday).

"Our seven messengers tried to negotiate in order to evacuate
the victims, but were blocked by four armed men before arriving
at the hamlet," Paniai deputy chief Comr. Wempy Batlayeri told
The Jakarta Post.

"They have returned to (regency capital) Mulia," Wempy said.

A newly created regency in Papua, Puncak Jaya, does not yet
have a district police station.

The Puncak Jaya administration said it was still attempting to
negotiate with the armed group to evacuate the bodies from the
location. "So far, we are still making persuasive overtures,"
Wempy said.

Efforts to remove the bodies from Tinggi Nambut began on
Wednesday but security forces were unable to enter the hamlet.

The armed group earlier destroyed five bridges linking roads
to the hamlet and felled trees over roads to the area. They were
also reported to have set fire to buildings.

Papua Governor Jaap Solossa has called for security forces to
take decisive action against the unknown number of gunmen, who
authorities believe are members of the separatist Free Papua
Organization (OPM), in order to prevent disorder from spreading
to other areas.

Ten police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers were being sent on
Friday to Mulia from the neighboring Enarotali region to help
more than 100 police and military personnel already deployed in
the area.

Papua Police have ordered their Mimika district office to
dispatch dozens of officers to Mulia, while the Jayawijaya Police
were asked to remain on standby.

Despite the latest killings, Salossa said Papua should not be
considered unsafe as the violence had taken place in a remote
area.

Salossa said since the special autonomy law for Papua was
implemented in 2002, the province's economy had improved and
locals were not easily provoked by sporadic attacks blamed on OPM
members.

Tuesday's ambush was launched at about 11 p.m. when five hard-
top jeeps were stopped by the armed assailants who then shot dead
all of their drivers; migrants mostly from Makassar, South
Sulawesi.

Col. W.P. Simanjuntak, deputy chief of the intelligence
division of Trikora Military Command, overseeing Papua, said on
Thursday the cars were carrying construction workers to Mulia
from the Ilu district.

The remaining workers, Papuan residents, had been contracted
to build a road in Ilu. They escaped the ambush and fled to
Mulia, where they reported the attack to soldiers.

The incident was the third attack in Tinggi Nambut allegedly
by Papuan rebels during the past three months. The first violence
erupted on Aug. 17, 2004 when two rebels injured two soldiers on
patrol.

On Sept. 14, soldiers exchanged gunfire with OPM members,
injuring one rebel and one soldier.