Military moves to retake Ilaga from separatists

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.