Military moves to retake Ilaga from separatists
R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
The Irian Jaya Military Command is reinforcing its personnel in Ilaga district east of Puncak Jaya regency to recapture the city from a separatist group claiming to be the National Liberation Front (TPN).
Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon, the military chief, confirmed in Jayapura on Sunday that the armed wing of the self-styled Free Papua Organization (OPM) had seized the district capital since its sporadic attacks on Friday.
He said that as of Sunday, only 26 military and police officers had been concentrated in the Ilaga subdistrict military command to anticipate further assaults and protect dozens of evacuees, while 30 more were being dispatched to the area.
The Friday onslaught by around 400 separatists, who also burned down mosques, police stations, the regional development bank and an official's residence, started when the rebels, led by Titus Morib, tried to rob two military men of their arms.
"One of the two soldiers was injured and a separatist was shot dead by the other," Mahidin Simbolon disclosed.
First Corp. Maskur Adam sustained a dagger slash to the hand and his colleague reacted by firing a deadly shot at Inkabit Morin, a member of TPN.
"I've ordered all soldiers to kill rather than be killed," the military commander added.
The group's scorched-earth attacks were believed to have been launched in retaliation for the death of one of its members in the previous skirmish.
Tension in Ilaga continued to mount as both sides exchanged fire on Saturday, when TPN also occupied the city's airport, but the situation began to cool down on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the troop dispatch from the nearest regency of Nabire was delayed due to dense fog, which prevented the flight of an Army helicopter carrying the reinforcements.
This additional troop was planned to land in the capital of Puncak Jaya before further conducting a long march to Ilaga, which was estimated to take two days on foot.
The TPN offensive was the third in a week, after its shooting of an Indonesian Military (TNI) soldier at Kali Kopi, Timika, and its assault on a military station at Bonggo, Jayapura regency.
In the three incidents, two TNI members were wounded and two TPN separatists killed and another injured.
Simbolon assumed the non-fulfillment of the Belgian ambassador's promise to OPM to be the reason for the group's acts of violence.
Two Belgian citizens, Johan Van den Eynde and M. Philippe Simon, were kidnapped by TPN for a month in Puncak Jaya and set free on August 1 on several conditions.
The group demanded that the release be internationally publicized on television and the Belgian ambassador act as facilitator in a dialog to discuss the political status of Papua.
Freeport
The commander also revealed that PT Freeport, one of the country's largest mining companies, refused to assist TNI in evacuating two victims slaughtered by TPN for fear of being charged with involvement in a military operation.
The company's reluctance, according to him, was in connection with its experience several years ago when it participated in the attempt to release hostage victims in Maponduma.
He was quoted by Antara as saying that the Timika-based company, however, was prepared to escort an Army helicopter in the effort.
"But the Army aviators are not prepared to fly high because of the lack of oxygen cylinders for the altitude of around 10,000 meters," Simbolon said.
Evacuation of the victims was also hampered by the bad weather around their location, as was the sending of more soldiers until Sunday.
The armed separatist group has about 4,000 to 5,000 members, including local inhabitants who support the movement and have built its stronghold in Gomay village near Iapter district.
For the safeguarding of Ilaga citizens against TPN harassment, they have been evacuated to the city's subdistrict military command headquarters.