Police arrest three over separatist street parade

Police arrest three over separatist street parade

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

Police here dispersed a separatist street parade at the
Cendrawasih University compound, arrested three people and
confiscated two flags representing the so-called state of Western
Melanesia.

The detained separatists have been identified as Edison
Waromi, 39, Yordan Ick, 46, and Herman Wanggai, 27, who presided
over the parade attended by some 50 other separatists.

The three were rounded up while flying two separatist flags
during a speech advocating a free Western Melanesia state at the
event, which was meant to mark the 14th anniversary of the state
on Saturday.

Abepura Police chief First Insp. Basman Saleh, who led the
police operation, said the three detainees were undergoing a
thorough interrogation.

The three are being interrogated on suspicion of trying to
undermine the state by advocating separatism.

He said the police arrived at the site when Herman and Edison
were making speeches and Yordan was about to hoist a Western
Melanesia state flag.

Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Totok Kasmiarto said the
celebration was preceded by a meeting on Wednesday at Edison's
house, which was attended by around 100 people. The meeting, he
said, discussed plans for Saturday's pro-independence street
parade.

"Such a celebration is unconstitutional and the police will
not allow it to continue," Totok told journalists.

He elaborated that the suspects would be charged with
violating Articles 106 and 108 of the Criminal Code, which carry
a punishment of up to 20 years in jail or a life sentence.

The Melanesian separatist movement started in 1988 when its
leader Thom Wapay Wainggai declared the independence of the
province on Dec. 14.

Thom, along with Edison and Yordan, were jailed soon after the
declaration at Manggala Stadium in Jayapura, Papua, but Thom died
in 1996 while serving out his sentence in Jakarta. When his body
was taken to Abepura for burial, the funeral procession sparked a
riot around the city and a number of rioters were arrested for
interrogation.

Although separatist rebels claim that Papua attained
independence in 1961 when the Dutch withdrew, Indonesia won
sovereignty over Papua, then known as West Irian, in 1969 after
the United Nations allowed an integration referendum.

The government has offered special autonomy to Papua to
appease the separatists, giving the troubled province a much
greater share of oil and gas revenues along with other
concessions.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri has stated that she would not
tolerate any independence celebration other than the Aug. 17
National Independence Day, and has ordered stern measures against
all rebels and separatists.

Police in Papua have also arrested at least 21 people this
month for raising the "Morning Star" flag in Manokwari in
northwestern Papua.