Wamena refugees afraid to return home: Official

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of Wamena refugees, who are currently sheltering at the military and police housing complexes and posts in the ravaged town, have refused to return home for fear of renewed violence, an official said on Tuesday.

"They don't want to go back to their homes unless there is an assurance of security for them," secretary to Jayawijaya regency administration Jason Bjelmau said, as quoted by Antara.

He said there were 9,195 people who had been taking shelter at the military and police complexes since last Friday.

Interviewed at the Wamena military and police complexes, some refugees said that they were not willing to return to their own homes unless they were given assurances of security.

"We'd better return to our hometowns or move out from Wamena. If we return to our homes now, there will be no security protection for us," Wati, a non-indigenous resident, said.

A staff member at the Wamena General Hospital said at least 30 people, most of them being migrant settlers, had been killed and 45 others wounded following the incident on Friday.

Irian Jaya Police chief Brig. Gen. S.Y. Wenas said the police had arrested on Monday another 20 suspects in Wamena, who had allegedly perpetrated the incident.

The arrest was made after 15 people were apprehended on Sunday. Earlier, the police released 44 people on the grounds of a lack of evidence.

In Jakarta, Paulus Wirutomo, noted sociologist of the University of Indonesia, called on President Abdurrahman Wahid to change his approach in handling violence-prone separatist movements, such as the Wamena unrest, by giving more attention to the regions and by abstaining from making overseas trips.

"We are running against time here. It is very clear that the Wamena riot was not a sociological problem as it is strongly politically motivated," Paulus told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"A political resolution is needed and one of the most effective ways is for Abdurrahman to visit the troubled regions and open a dialogue," he said.

He said Abdurrahman had to win the hearts of those people and make them understand about the importance of unity and be firm on the political elites who tried to stir chaos in Irian.

"Calls of freedom are actually only on the elite level, such as on the Presidium Dewan Papua (Papua Presidium Board), but not on the grass roots level as the Papuans' basic need is a better welfare.

"I don't think it's about the (separatist) flag, either. These political elites manipulate the people and push them to create bloody incidents.

"And these parties will seize the moment for greater moves to rock the government by sacrificing the non-Papua people in the process. Locals actually do not have problems with settlers as they have been living in Irian for quite some time," Paulus said.

In Jayapura, head of the Christian Injili Synode Church GKI Herman Saud said on Tuesday that President Abdurrahman Wahid was not to blame over the bloody Wamena riot, despite his decision to allow the hoisting of the separatist Morning Star flag in June.

Herman pointed out that the proindependence Papua Presidium Board (PDP) Theys Hiyo Eluay must be held accountable for the bloody incident as he had ordered the Papuan security task force to hoist the flags across Irian Jaya.

"It was Eluay who should be held responsible for the brutality of the PDP, which has claimed the lives of local residents," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

He added that the PDP's action had violated the religious teachings and the law and the church gave its full support to the law apparatus to prosecute those responsible.

The PDP's provocation took its toll in several towns, namely Sorong, Manokwari, Nabire and Wamena, Herman said.

In June, the Indonesian government set certain conditions on the hoisting of the separatist flag, including that the Morning Star flag should be smaller in size and be hoisted at a lower height than the National red and white flag.

Leaders in the House of Representatives aired protests against the decision, saying the hoisting of separatist flags is a violation of the law and described it as an act of treason. (edt/lup)