Local leaders want police chief replaced

Local leaders want police chief replaced

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: Community leaders expressed outrage on
Wednesday at a ban imposed by provincial police chief Brig. Gen.
Hotman Siagian, which prohibits disseminating information from
their recent meeting with President B.J. Habibie, during which
they conveyed a separatism preference.

The police chief last week issued a directive banning the 100
community leaders from speaking to the public about the meeting.
He also prohibited the establishment of West Papua youth
organizations and the posts where they were to gather.

He said the activities had created listlessness, division and
fear among people.

However, Zadrak Taime, one of the community leaders who met
with Habibie in late February, said Hotman's directive had
created the community fears.

"If the police chief does not retract his directive and if
unrest breaks out, then it will be the responsibility of the
police chief," said Rev. Herman Awom from the Christian
Evangelical Church.

"If this happens, don't ask religious leaders to act as
firemen."

Mohammad Thoha Alhammid, another of the 100 leaders who met
Habibie, called the directive "undemocratic".

"He should have consulted other people and groups who would be
affected by the directive."

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, a limited Cabinet meeting on political
and security affairs on Thursday discussed the possibility of
dividing Irian Jaya into three provinces before the June 7
general election.

"The coordinating minister for political and security affairs
has ordered the home affairs minister to prepare a bill on
dividing Irian Jaya into three provinces before the election,"
assistant to the coordinating minister, I Wayan Karya, said on
Thursday.

Karya said the plan was not a government response to calls for
a separate state made by Irianese groups.

"The move aims to increase development programs in the
province, which is 3.5 times bigger than the island of Java," he
said.

The meeting was attended by Defense Minister and Armed Forces
chief Gen. Wiranto, chief of the Indonesian Police Gen
Roesmanhadi, Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and
Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Minister of Information
Muhammad Yunus. (34)