Separatist fighters kill villagers, take hostages
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): A band of up to 30 separatist rebels allegedly attacked on Wednesday a transmigration settlement, killing four residents and injuring four others. They also took 11 other people hostage.
The rebels entered Moor village in Arso district on Wednesday afternoon and killed Paino, Prayitno and Bangid with machetes. Other residents fled the area to seek shelter in various places, including a palm oil factory.
Another body with slash wounds was found on Thursday morning in bushes just outside the village. The victim was identified as Edi Pranoto.
The hostages, who include seven women, were at the health clinic at Arso transmigration settlement, when the attack happened. Witnesses said the rebels forced the 11, including the clinic's nurse, Yolanda, into the forest.
The commander of 433 Battalion, Maj. Saharuddin, believed the rebels had taken the hostages to Bewani, a village just inside the border of Papua New Guinea.
There were no other details about the hostage-taking, but the emptied village was being guarded by security personnel.
Antara reported that acting spokesman of the Trikora Military Command, Capt. Edy Sulistiadjie, confirmed the attack but did not provide other details.
Separatism has been a long-standing problem in Irian, the western part of Papua, and one of Indonesia's hugest provinces, but resurfaced in even greater force following the resignation of president Soeharto.
In Jakarta on Thursday, demonstrators from Indonesia's vast eastern province of Irian Jaya demanded independence in a peaceful protest. They said they would boycott the upcoming June 7 general election.
About 50 protesters went to the Ministry of Home Affairs, accusing the central government of neglecting the rich province and violating human rights there.
Recently, the government discussed a plan to divide Irian Jaya into three provinces before the elections. Observers, including Irianese community leaders, protested the plan saying it would disrupt the proceedings.
The dean of Otto W. Geisler School of Economics, G.M. Satya, warned on Wednesday that not only was the plan disruptive, it was also viewed by locals as something that was forced on them by outsiders.
"The government should realize the elections are now the most important thing. The government would be better off handling the aspirations of the Irianese wisely and prudently, because they have experienced dissatisfaction and injustices for a long time," Satya said.
The executive secretary of the Non-governmental Organizations Cooperation Forum, Budi, spoke of the need to educate the public about such plans. Religious and tribal leaders, as well as local intellectuals, youth leaders and politicians, should all be consulted.
He warned that otherwise the Irianese would be insulted and think their aspirations had not been heard. "They would then be apathetic."
Catholic youth leader Willem B. Mabieuw dismissed the planned division, saying it would never mitigate the suffering of the Irianese during four decades of intimidation under the Republic of Indonesia. (34/swe)