No need for additional troops in Irian: Albert
No need for additional troops in Irian: Albert
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Trikora Military Command chief Maj.
Gen. Albert Ingkiriwang overseeing Irian Jaya says there is no
need to send reinforcements to the province, despite growing
calls for separatism.
Albert told journalists on Thursday that the security
situation in the province was stable.
"Even if there have been activities involving a lot of people
shouting for freedom, none of them have threatened security," he
said.
His comments came on the heels of a Papuan People's Congress
that asserted the desire for independence.
The government and the House of Representatives have taken a
firm stance against the congress, rejecting its call for a
separate state of West Papua.
On Wednesday, the Army's Strategic Reserves Commander
(Kostrad), Lt. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah, suggested the
possibility of sending more troops to the restive province to
quell separatist operations.
Albert conceded that there had been plenty of activity,
particularly during the seven-day congress that ended on Sunday.
He maintained, however, there had been no incidents that
warranted a security alarm.
He advised the government to listen to what the people in the
region were saying before making any hasty decisions.
"There is no need for weapons to deal with the situation in
the area," he added.
Separately, political scientist Cornelis Lay from Gadjah Mada
University in Yogyakarta also warned against excessive troop
deployment in the province.
"Once the government sends in its troops, Papua will be
liberated," Cornelis said.
He warned that further troop deployment could work against
Indonesia and play toward the sympathy of the international
community.
Cornelis said that even though the international community
currently acknowledged Irian Jaya as part of Indonesia, it was
still possible for the province to gain support for separation.
"Especially now, when political adventurers have no other
target after East Timor, the ripest target would be Irian," he
warned.
The European Union, meanwhile, reconfirmed Thursday its
support for Indonesia's territorial integrity, after the Papuan
People's Congress declared that West Papua was not part of
Indonesia.
In a statement, the European Union said it "has taken note" of
the independence declaration.
"The EU has repeatedly stressed its support for a strong,
democratic, united and prosperous Indonesia," the statement said.
"It has also stressed its support for Indonesia's territorial
integrity, and for efforts of the current Indonesian government
to solve problems, such as Aceh and Irian Jaya, through peaceful
negotiation," it said.
The statement added that the European Union was expected to
reassert that position at a meeting next Wednesday with
Indonesian counterpart Alwi Abdurrahman Shihab.
That meeting in Luxembourg, pencilled into a regular monthly
conclave of EU foreign ministers, is intended to "launch the
enhanced EU-Indonesian relationship," the statement said.
Previously the United States and Japan flatly rejected the
Irian Jayan declaration of independence. (10/44/har/eba)