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)