Though weak, OPM still a time bomb, officials say
Though weak, OPM still a time bomb, officials say
JAKARTA (JP): The Free Papua Movement (OPM) may be weak and
divided, but it could still be a time bomb for Irian Jaya, local
officials said.
Irian Jaya governor Jacob Pattipi said the OPM is divided into
one camp which is led by Kelly Kwalik, who abducted members of
the Lorentz '95 expedition of the World Wildlife Fund, and the
other by Mathias Wenda.
Kwalik, a tribal leader of Amungme in the Fakfak regency has
been in revolt since his clan's demand for compensation for the
communal land acquired by the U.S.-based copper giant PT Freeport
was turned down.
The Kwalik group has concentrated its activities in Freeport's
mining areas, Pattipi said.
Wenda went to the jungle for guerrilla warfare in 1977 because
he was unhappy with the government's development policy for the
Baliem Valley, which is renowned for its natural beauty.
Wenda wanted the government to prioritize the development of
his clan's home village.
"His demand was rejected because the government means to
develop the whole area to improve the well-being of all people in
the Valley," Pattipi told Antara.
Frustrated, Wenda went to the jungle and crossed the border
with Papua New Guinea to the Sandaun province, where they base
their activities.
"If they come home, I'm sure they will admire the progress of
the development they have missed since they entered the jungle,"
Pattipi said.
Apparently, Wenda is afraid to return for fear of reprisal by
relatives of the people he duped into following him, he said.
"He is riding a tiger ... he is haunted by danger and he knows
only well the tiger will devour him if he gets off."
In Berlin, Germany, Merauke regent Col. (ret.) R. Soekardjo
said although "militarily weak", these low-level rebellions could
represent a "time bomb."
The regent is in Berlin to accompany a group of Asmat tribal
people who perform cultural shows in Europe.
He suggested that the government start using non-military
approaches, such as information campaigns, to stop the uprising.
Armed with sophisticated rifles, such as M-16s and AKAs, the
OPM rebels are based within Papua New Guinean territory, he said.
Among their goals is to disrupt the relations between the two
countries, he added.
The OPM rebels, who were used as puppets by the Dutch colonial
administrators in the early 1960s, when Indonesia was struggling
to take over Irian Jaya, is intensifying its activity to attract
international attention to their cause, the regent said.
Soekardjo underlined that Jakarta has been paying greater
attention to the development of the eastern provinces including
Irian Jaya.
At present, the government is pouring in money to build a
trans-Irian highway to improve communications in the thinly
populated vast territory, he added. (pan)