TNI pleads innocence in Timika shooting

The Jakarta Post, Karawang, West Java

Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto lamented on Monday public doubts over the result of a government probe into the last year's fatal shooting in Timika, Papua, saying there was no evidence whatsoever of military involvement in the incident.

"There was no evidence (of military involvement) and we have even invited the FBI (the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation) to join our investigating team to finish any doubts over the results," Endriartono told reporters here on Monday after he briefed 566 Army officers from across the country.

"But they have not sent anyone and our team has concluded its investigation," he added.

Unidentified gunmen fired at two buses carrying Freeport employees from the Tembagapura International School on Aug. 31 last year. Two American school teachers and one Indonesian were killed and 12 others were wounded.

Human rights groups, including the Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy (Elsham), have demanded that an independent team be established to investigate the deadly ambush as speculation surfaced that military personnel might have been involved in the incident.

The alleged involvement of military soldiers was floated after Papuan Police and Elsham listened to the testimony of Decky Murif, who is believed to be a separatist member.

According to Endriartono, Decky's testimony simply did not match the facts.

"For example, he said he was driven to Mile 62 by Margus Arifin and heard shootings there at 9:15 a.m., while in fact the incident occurred at 12 noon," Endriartono said.

Mile 62, the incident site, is located about halfway between Timika and the American-owned Freeport copper and gold mine in Tembagapura, one of the largest in the world.

Margus, according to Decky, was a member of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus).

However, an investigation that followed failed to find a Kopassus member by that name in Papua.

Earlier, Kopassus chief Maj. Gen. Sriyanto Muntrasan said a Capt. Margus was attending the Army's advanced course for officers in Bandung at the time of the incident.

Endriartono said people should not make their own conclusions and should base their accusations on facts.

"And we have found no evidence of military involvement in the shooting," he said.