Soldiers wounded in Papua
Soldiers wounded in Papua
Nethy Darma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua
Police failed to hold an on-site investigation on Wednesday over
the shooting of four Papuan women near the Indonesia-Papua New
Guinea border after unknown gunmen fired at a joint military-
police convoy heading for the shooting site earlier in the
morning.
At least two military personnel were wounded in the attack.
Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Totok Kasmiarto said that
the field investigation had been postponed as "the security
situation around the (shooting) site was not conducive".
The police investigating team, led by Sr. Comr. Simamora, and
police officers from the National Police Headquarters, were not
permitted by local police to enter the site where members of the
Free Papua Movement (OPM) are believed to be operating for fear
they would disturb the ongoing investigation.
Two military personnel -- chief of the intelligence detachment
at Trikora Military Command Lt. Col. Daru and his subordinate
First Sgr. Krisdianto -- were wounded when an unknown group fired
at their vehicle in Waena area, Abepura subdistrict at around
9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Krisdianto was hit in the right hand by
a bullet, while Daru suffered minor injuries to his hand caused
by broken glass from the car windows.
They were part of a convoy of security personnel accompanying
the police investigating team heading for the Indonesia-PNG
border where three Papuan women were shot last week.
Local military spokesman Major G.T. Situmorang immediately
blamed the attack on OPM, saying that "OPM leader Mathias Wande
had earlier announced that they would attack the military post
stationed at the border area on Jan. 1".
No confirmation has been made by the rebels.
"Even though the on-site investigation has been postponed, we
will continue to probe the shooting case by questioning witnesses
and examining other evidence," Totok said.
Wednesday's investigation was supposed to present three
witnesses -- Welem Anasbey, the driver of the four women wounded
in the ambush; Maniagasi, an officer assigned at a border
lighthouse; and Bob Alwi, a police officer.
Police had collected some evidence in their previous field
investigation, including 29 projectiles and nine arrows.
Meanwhile, deputy director of the local office of the
Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy (Elsham) Allosius
Renwarin asserted that the incident was aimed at disturbing the
on-going inquiry.
"We believe that the fresh incident was perpetrated by certain
groups to disrupt the field inquiry," Allosius said referring to
last Saturday's incident when Elsie Rumbiak Bonai and her
neighbor were shot in the legs when gunmen ambushed their minibus
close to the border between the province and Papua New Guinea.
Yeni Irew Merauje, 35, and Elsie's daughter Marlin were also
injured during the incident.
Elsie, 40, is the wife of Johanis G. Bonai, the head of Elsham
Papua, which has openly accused the Indonesian Military of
carrying out the Aug. 31 ambush near a mining company PT Freeport
Indonesia that killed two Americans and one Indonesian.
"We (Elsham) plan to protest to the police if the latest
shooting incident affects the investigation into the case,"
Allosius said on Wednesday.