Wamena still tense after bloody riots

Wamena still tense after bloody riots

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of mostly migrant settlers were still
sheltering in local military and police posts in Wamena as the
small hinterland town in Irian Jaya remained tense on Sunday,
following major rioting which broke out on Friday.

There were no new outbreaks reported on Sunday as security
forces gradually regained control of the situation.

However, commercial activity in the town, located on the
Jayawaija plateau, was virtually at a standstill as people were
still too afraid to go about their everyday business.

Sources put the death toll as being at least 30, while a
statement from the provincial administration issued on Sunday
said 28 had died comprising 22 migrants and six indigenous
Irianese.

Jayawijaya police chief Supt. D. Surrypati was quoted by
Antara as saying that out of the 59 people apprehended in the
incident, 26 have been named as suspects.

He said they could be charged under several articles of the
Criminal Code, including the article on illegal possession of
weapons.

Surrypati said the number of suspects could increase, or even
decrease depending on the results of further investigation,
adding that police were also hunting down several perpetrators of
"killings and rapes" which he alleged were committed by pro-
independence supporters.

"The perpetrators in Woama village (on the outskirts of
Wamena) were sadistic," he charged. "They made no differentiation
and mutilated their victims. Men, women and children!"

Police continue to remain on high alert and have been
reinforced by soldiers from the local military command.

The riot erupted on Friday after security forces tried to take
down several separatist "Morning Star" flags. Pro-independence
supporters, identified by authorities as being from the Papua
Taskforce, then clashed with police and later turned their anger
against migrants in the area.

In a bid to sooth tensions as a result of the growing calls
for independence in Indonesia's easternmost province, the
government has allowed the separatist flag to be raised as long
as it is flown lower and is smaller than the Indonesian national
flag.

Acting Irian Jaya governor Musiran Darmosuwito in a written
statement maintained that the lowering of the separatist flag was
in accordance with a previous understanding reached at a meeting
between the pro-independence Papua Presidium and local military
and police, that only one separatist flag would be flown in the
regency town, specifically at the local community affairs
building.

He pointed out that police had succeeded in peacefully
lowering the separatist flag at five other locations on Friday
before the disturbances broke out on Jl. Trikora.

Wamena is located 290 kilometers southwest of the provincial
capital of Jayapura.

Meanwhile, 22 migrants who had been held hostage by members of
the taskforce since Saturday at Honey Resort, about 2.5
kilometers from Wamena, were released on Sunday.

They were freed after negotiations were conducted by local
religious and community leaders. However it is unclear what
action was taken against the kidnappers.

One of the freed hostages, Kholifah, was quoted by Antara as
saying that they had been treated well despite not being given
anything to eat.

Kholifah, who moved to Wamena 12 years ago, said she was
abducted as she was returning home from shopping.

The events in Irian Jaya began to draw international reaction
on Sunday with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer
calling on Indonesia to adopt restraint in dealing with
independence moves in Irian Jaya.

"The important message for Australia and for Papua New Guinea
to send to West Papua is that we support West Papua remaining
part of Indonesia," Downer said as quoted by AP from Canberra.

"We don't want to see the Balkanization of Indonesia. We hope
that the differences that exist between Jakarta and various
community leaders in West Papua can be handled in an appropriate
and peaceful way".

Downer said he was confident Indonesia had learnt from its
experience governing East Timor.

"They have to deal with the situation in West Papua with a
degree of restraint and appropriate respect for human rights," he
said. (mds)
Editorial -- Page 4