Police seize 105 arms in Papua raids

Police seize 105 arms in Papua raids

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

Indonesian security forces are claiming initial success on the
front lines of its second war against separatists in Indonesia,
Papua, but warn the worst it yet to come.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police launched
operations against separatist groups in the resource-rich
province after the poorly armed Free Papua Movement (OPM) were
accused of raiding an arsenal belonging to the TNI on April 5.

Papua Police Sr. Comr. Daud Sihombing said the operations were
the first part of what would be a prolonged government campaign
to crush the separatists, after it had dealt with separatists in
Aceh.

He called on the OPM rebels to lay down their arms and for
others to give up their political campaigns before the planned
military offensive.

Daud said police had so far confiscated 105 guns, more than
440 rounds of ammunition and four hand grenades from alleged
rebels since it launched its operation on July 7.

A large number of traditional weapons such as arrows, spears
and machetes had also been confiscated from alleged separatists,
he said.

He was not asked about the fate of those arrested.

Daud warned that the full attention of the TNI and police
would soon focus on Papua.

He said the ongoing operation was to improve the rebel's,
political campaigner's and the general population's awareness
that Indonesia was a unitary state.

He said the preliminary operation was persuasive in its nature
"because we want rebels to lay down their arms and come back to
their home villages to develop their futures and the province and
accept Indonesia's sovereignty over the province."

Daud conceded that a number of separatists had surrendered and
were in police custody. He declined to identify them "for their
safety".

He said the government would grant amnesty to rebels and
civilians who voluntarily gave up their arms and returned home
from their hiding places in the dense jungles in the province.

"We will give amnesty to those who voluntarily give up their
arms and they will not be brought to justice because the
operation is aimed at improving their nationalism and
patriotism," he said.

"We hope in the next three weeks that more and more rebels and
supporters of the separatist movement will surrender and return
to their daily activities to develop their futures."

The TNI have also launched an operation in Papua.

Dozens of people, including civilians, have been killed during
the operation, which has involved soldiers from the Army's elite
Special Forces (Kopassus) and Strategic Reserve Command
(Kostrad).

Most of the arms and ammunition stolen from the Army has
already been recovered. However, the Army itself has been
implicated of involvement in the raid.

Religious leaders and human rights organizations have demanded
an independent investigation into alleged human rights abuses
that continue to take place during the operation.

The military leadership has again warned Papuan political
movements against lobbying the international community for
support in their fight for independence.

The military is believed to be behind the government's policy
to split Papua into three provinces in an attempt to weaken the
separatist movement.

The move has been met with opposition from parts of the Papuan
people and religious leaders, who say the government should focus
on implementing special autonomy to win the hearts of the people.

Special autonomy would allow Papuans to a greater share of
their resources and more say in handling their day-to-day
affairs.

Papua governor Jaap Salossa and Papuan religious leaders were
in Jakarta over the weekend to ask the government to delay the
planned military offensive and to disburse the special autonomy
funds worth Rp 1.3 trillion (US$15.8 million) to finance
development projects in the 2003 fiscal year.