Protests delay relocation of inmates
JAYAPURA, Papua: The relocation of 13 inmates -- convicted of involvement in the 2000 riot in Papua, in which at least 26 people were killed -- from their prison in Wamena town, to a prison in East Java has been delayed due to security reasons.
Papua justice and human rights office head Aronggear confirmed on Monday that the prisoners would not be moved until after Christmas.
Should the 13 prisoners be relocated, the local people could protest, risking the destabilization of Papua, he added.
"We will also give them a chance to celebrate Christmas with their families," Aronggear said.
He said several lawyers from the Jayapura Legal Aid Institute, the El-Sham human rights group and the Papua Presidium Council (PDP) had met with him earlier to question why the planned relocation was necessary.
Protests also came from the families of the prisoners and local Church leader Socrates Sofyan Yoman, who feared for the prisoner's safety if they were imprisoned outside Papua.
The 13 inmates were sentenced to between one and four years in prison for their roles in the Oct. 6, 2000 incident that erupted following the forcible removal of the Kejora (morning star) flag by police and soldiers in Wamena, Jayawijaya regency.
The riot turned into an ethnic conflict, in which indigenous Papuans attacked and killed migrants and destroyed their belongings. --JP
C. Java's PKB recalls six councillors
SEMARANG: The National Awakening Party (PKB) has officially recalled its six councillors in Central Java after they shifted their allegiance to its splinter faction, the Democratic Glory Party (PKD) led by defense minister Matori Abdul Djalil.
The decision to remove the six councillors was announced on Monday by Abdul Kadir Karding, who chairs the PKB faction in the Central Java legislative council.
"This morning, I was summoned by council speaker Pak Mardijo in relation to PKB's request. The letter (recalling them) has been signed by four council leaders and will soon be handed over to the Central Java governor for approval," Karding said.
The councillors concerned are deputy council speaker Ircham Abdurrachim, Hajjah Faizah Idris, Rochadi Soekardi, Chumaidy Tamyiz, Ali Hannan Fatah and Syarifuddin Husen.
Karding could not say who would replace the six, as the issue was being discussed by his party.
PKB split into two factions -- one led by Alwi Shihab and another by Matori who later renamed his party the PKD in a bid to contest the 2004 election.
However, the PKD was disqualified from contesting the 2004 elections, while Matori is being hospitalized in Singapore for a stroke. --JP
Rector warns of fresh Poso unrest
PALU, Central Sulawesi: University of Tadulako rector Sahabuddin Mustafa urged political parties and authorities on Monday to hold only closed-door campaigns next year in Poso in order to prevent fresh fighting in the violence-torn town.
Campaigns held in open fields involving crowds could trigger renewed violence, he told a workshop for electoral supervisors in the provincial capital of Palu.
Sahabuddin said similar campaigns through dialogs should also be planned for the neighboring regency of Morowali, which like Poso has suffered recent attacks by masked gunmen after the December 2001 peace deal.
Responding to the rector's call, Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha said he was not worried about the possibility of fresh violence in Poso and Morowali during political campaigns ahead of the 2004 elections, as long as all parties abided by the existing rules.
However, he said the police would deploy around 3,467 personnel to guard the upcoming elections. --JP