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)