More blood spilled fresh in Papua

More blood spilled fresh in Papua

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura/Jakarta

Ahead of a planned tribal celebration for peace, the situation in
Timika, the capital of Mimika regency, abruptly turned tense on
Monday following the killing of two migrant people on Sunday
evening.

Although the incident had no apparent connection to the
earlier violence that ensued from the recent inauguration of
Central Irian Jaya province -- now retracted -- the local police
and military have tightened security in the capital to avoid a
possible open war between indigenous Papuans and the migrant
community.

The situation was worsened by rumors that four migrant women
had been raped by Papuans.

Some 500 riot police were deployed to guard the two opposing
groups and to launch an operation to disarm everyone in Timika.

Timika Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Paulus Waterpaw told The
Jakarta Post by telephone from Timika that the situation heated
up again on Monday when a group of Papuans opposing the new
province attacked a number of ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers with
spears and arrows.

"Two were killed instantly, while four others are in critical
condition at Mitra Masyarakat Hospital," he said.

The body of Sabaruddin was flown on Monday to his home town in
Makassar, South Sulawesi, at the request of his family, while
Ismail, who came from Buton, South Sulawesi, was buried in
Timika.

Waterpaw explained that the attack was triggered when a
migrant ojek driver stabbed a Papuan man, Bustami Gomo, for
refusing to pay his fare.

"Feeling that he'd lost face, the ojek driver took a machete
and stabbed Bustami in his stomach and slashed his head, then ran
away," he said.

Bustami survived the attack and reported the incident to his
tribe. An hour later, dozens of Papuans attacked ojek drivers in
the area, claiming that they were spying for security
authorities.

Waterpaw said the incident was criminal in nature and had
nothing to do with the new province. Police were still searching
for the ojek driver to look into the matter further.

Chairman of the Mimika administration Andareas Anggaibak and
Tom Beanal, secretary-general of the Papua Presidium Council and
chairman of the Amungme Tribal Development Institute, also
stressed that the latest incident was not related to the conflict
over the new province.

Mimika regent Klemen Tinal condemned the killing of the
migrants, saying the people could not take the law into their own
hands.

Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Budi Utomo confirmed that he had
ordered Mimika police to disarm everyone in Timika and to ban
ojek drivers from working nights to prevent the conflict from
turning into an open feud between Papuans and migrants.

"In addition, all tribal and informal leaders, religious
figures and representatives of women's and youth groups have been
called to a meeting, where we will explain the incident and ask
the leaders to control their own tribes ahead of the peace
process," he said.

The rival groups are ready to conduct a tribal ceremony "to
end the conflict (over the new province) and to discuss the
detainees' release and compensation for all the victims during
the clash", he said. The police have donated 14 pigs and 30 sacks
of rice for the ceremony.

In Jakarta, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar asserted
that the bloody incident on Sunday evening was "an ordinary
crime."

In Makassar, a score of Papuan students staged a
demonstration, demanding the government cancel the division that
triggered the bloody conflict of the past week.

Since the inauguration of the new province on Aug. 23, at
least five people have been killed and dozens injured a week of
clashes between supporters and opponents of the split.

Indigenous Papuans, mostly from the highlands of the province,
came down and attacked those supporting the new province,
including migrants.