Mathias Wenda to be deported from PNG

Mathias Wenda to be deported from PNG

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): The Papua New Guinea government
will deport some 30 to 40 Irianese border crossers, including
Free Papua Movement (OPM) separatist leader Mathias Wenda and his
assistant Simon Alum, the Indonesian consul for Papua New Guinea
said on Wednesday.

Wisnu T. Mahendra said the Papua New Guinea government had
filed no legal charges against the illegal border crossers, who
will be handed to Indonesian authorities to face legal
processing.

"The ties between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are close and
are not affected by the rising insurgency in Irian Jaya. The
deportations prove that they trust that we will take the
necessary measures," Wisnu told reporters after meeting with
Irian Jaya Governor JP Solossa.

A source in the Irian Jaya Police said the Irianese would be
handed over to Indonesian authorities on Friday in Wotung
village, about two kilometers by car from Jayapura, the capital
of Irian Jaya province.

Mobile Brigade police personnel are scheduled to accompany the
entourage of provincial administration officials to pick up the
deported Irianese.

Irian Jaya has seen growing separatist sentiment, with rebel
groups often crossing the border into Papua New Guinea to flee
security forces in Indonesia.

However, the neighboring country has officially announced that
it has no intention of interfering with issues concerning
Indonesian separatists and stressed that it would not tolerate
trespassers.

The police source also said that apart from being charged with
subversion, Mathias Wenda could be charged with killing migrant
settlers in 1997 and 2001.

Simon Alum will be charged with, among other things, the
beating of a reporter and a cameraman of private Indosiar
television station in late 2000. (34/emf)