Police: No additional troops in Papua

Timika, Papua — Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Bekto Suprapto said Tuesday that there would not be any further deployment of police personnel despite the recent shootings near the PT Freeport Indonesia mining company area in Timika.

“The police and the military are hunting for the perpetrators,” he said as quoted by Antara state news agency.

A group of unidentified gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying employees of mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia and security officers on Sunday, the first shooting incident after a few months of calm.

Nine people, including one foreign employee and four Mobile Brigade police officers, were injured by broken glass during the ambush, which took place at around 6:10 a.m. local time.

Also wounded in the incident were local Freeport employees and an elementary school student.

The renewed attack took place between mile markers 60 and 61 on the road to Freeport’s gold and copper mine from Tembagapura to Kuala Kencana in the town of Timika, Mimika regency.

Bekto said that all victims, including police personnel had been evacuated to Jakarta for medical treatment.

Separately, Bekto’s deputy Brig. Gen. Syafei Aksal said that the perpetrators used rifles in the shooting, based on the bullet shells found at three locations during the investigation.

There are currently a total of 1,700 police and military personnel guarding the area.

Source: the Jakarta Post

Press Release West Papua National Coalition: The OPM Claim the Recent Shooting

The OPM claimed responsibility for killings or shootings around the mining area, including the recent shooting on Mile 60 on 24th January 2010.

“The OPM has claimed every involvement in this shooting. The shooting is aiming to drive to the process of dialogue in West Papua. Therefore, this type of action will be stop when the dialogue is in a good progress”, said Dr. Otto Ondawame, leader of the OPM and Vice Chairman of the WPNCL.

The OPM and its TPN have publicly declared their full support for the independence of Papua. The late General Kelly Kwalik as Supreme Commander of the West Papuan National Liberation Army and member of the WPNCL gave his full endorsement to the initiative of independence of Papua with all means. His firm stand was well known.

One remaining question is how the Government of Indonesia reaction to tackle the recent shooting? The answer to this question is not easy to find. However, it has been well recorded that OPM has at lot armed guerillas. These anti-peace groups do not want to bring a lasting peace in West Papua because they have an enormous fear that any achievement of peace in the territory means a big loose for them. The shooting in the recent case is a provocative activity aiming to offer a dialogue between the Government of Indonesia and leaders of West Papua.

OPM fire on Papua mine employees, nine wounded

TIMIKA, Indonesia, January 25, 2010 – The arm wing of Free Papua Movement (OPM) or known as National Liberation Army (TPN) fired at two vehicles carrying employees of U.S. miner Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold Inc in Indonesia’s Papua province on Sunday, wounding nine people, a company official said.

The latest violence did not affect production at the Grasberg mine, which accounts for nearly 40 percent of Freeport’s total copper reserves and boasts the world’s largest reserves, said company spokesman Mindo Pangaribuan.

“Nine people were injured. Three required hospitalization for treatment of injuries that are not life-threatening and the other six were released after treatment of minor injuries,” Pangaribuan said in an e-mailed statement.

Police earlier said six people were wounded in the shooting on a highway leading to the mine.

The mine in insurgency-affected Papua has been a source of friction over its environmental impact and the share of revenues going to Papua.

One of the staff, James Lockhart, an American, was hit by flying glass near his left eye and had been flown to Singapore for treatment, Papua police spokesman Agus Rianto said.

“The attack happened around 6.30 in the morning. The investigation is underway,” Mimika police chief Mochammad Sagi said.

A series of shootings by unidentified gunmen have taken place near the mine in recent months and at least two people have been killed.

The resource-rich province of Papua has suffered a low-level separatist insurgency for decades. The Grasberg mine is about 3,350 km (2,080 miles) east of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta.

Nicolaas Jouwe: I am ready to work with the government to develop Papua province

ANTARA News/Monday, January 25, 2010 — The founder of the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM), Nicolaas Jouwe, here Monday declared his commitment to supporting development in Papua under the special autonomy law enacted by the central government.

“I and my associates are ready to work with the government to develop Papua province,” Jouwe said here on Monday after a meeting with Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono.

But Jouwe who is a member of the supervisory council of the Independent Group Supporting Special Autonomy for Papua within the Republic of Indonesia (IGSSARPRI) also said the government should evaluate its special autonomy policy on Papua province.

“The government`s budget for the implementation of special autonomy in Papua province is quite large. It is hard to believe that the budget funds made available are not enough to develop Papua,” Jouwe said in a written recommendation.

Jouwe who had for the past 40 years lived in the Netherlands said the government should strictly supervise the use of state budget funds allocated to Papua, and investigate those suspected of corrupting the money.

He also urged the government to widen the local people`s access to banks and medical services.

“What is also needed now is a meeting between the government and prominent Papua figures to discuss plans to develop Papua,” he said. (*)

Gen. TRPB Mathias Wenda: Pemuda Papua Membangun Bangsa Papua

Jayapura, Indonesia 20 January 2010

Dari Markas Pusat Pertahanan Tentara Revolusi Papua Barat (MPP Papua Barat/TRPB) menanggapi tindakan-tindakan kaum penghianat dan dalam rangka mengamankan kemajuan diplomasi dan politik yang sedang terjadi di luar negeri, maka perlu diperhatikan sejumlah hal sebagai berikut:
1. Panglima Komando Revolusi Tertinggi Tentara Revolusi Papua Barat (TRPB) tidak bertanggung jawab atas segala aksi dan demonstrasi mahasiswa Papua Barat yang berlangsung sejak Peluncuran IPWP di London, Inggris;
2. Oleh karena itu, kiranya segala tindakan dan kegiatan mahasiswa dan pemuda Papua Barat di luar garis komando Papua Barat yang dikendalikan lewat Sekretaris Jenderal, Leut Gen. Amunggut Tabi (kontak: trpb@papuapost.com), dan aksi-aksi demonstrasi dan kegiatan politik tidak sejalan dengan arahan Benny Wenda SekJend Demmak Co-Coordinator Free West Papua Campaign di Oxford, United Kingdom (kontak: office@freewestpapua.org).
3. Masing-masing gerakan dan komponen telah tidak terkendali dan meresahkan serta memprovokasi masyarakat, dan dimanfaatkan oleh tangan-tangan penghianat, pencundang, pengecut dan kaum pelarian di luar negeri;
4. Agar gerakan dan aksi segera dihentikan sampai ada komando dari Markas Pusat TRPB;
5. Bersamaan waktu pula, kini Papua Barat TRPB telah memberlakukan Siaga I di setiap Pos dan Pusat Pertahanan;
6. Untuk itu, ada pihak-pihak, khususnya para Calon Legislativ yang sudah mencalonkan diri untuk masuk ke Kursi Parlemen NKRI di tingkat daerah maupun Pusat yang mengkampanyekan bahwa perjuangan di Parlemen NKRI bermanfaat untuk kemerdekaan dan untuk mencari uang demi menyokong perjuangan Papua Merdeka hendaknya didukung, berdasarkan pengalaman dari perjuangan bangsa-bangsa lain di dunia maupun secara khusus pengalaman perjuangan bangsa Papua sejauh ini. Oleh karena itu, agar jangan sampai para pemuda dan mahasiswa dipengaruhi oleh pihak-pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab, yang hanya mencari kepentingan pribadi (perut dan kepentingan keluarga) di luar negeri.
7. Kami dari Markas Pusat Pertahanan Papua Barat (TRPB) menyatakan bahwa segala kegiatan anak-anak kami Pemuda dan Mahasiswa Papua telah digalang dan dimanipulasi oleh pihak-pihak di luar negeri, demi kepentingan pribadi mereka.
8. Untuk itu agar para Pemuda dan Mahasiswa para pejuang sejati aspirasi bangsa Papua agar menyusun kekuatan dan strategi agar tidak terjadi penyusupan dan provokasi dari pihak penghianat di luar negeri;

Himbauan ini disampaikan agar diketahui dan diikuti oleh segenap Pemuda dan Mahasiswa Papua di mana saja Anda berada, di tanah air, di perantauan maupun di pengasingan.

An. PANGKORTI
Sekretaris Jenderal

Amunggut Tabi

Papua is part of Indonesia

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 01/12/2010 5:04 PM

Free Papua Organization (OPM) rebel group founder Nicholas Jouwe arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday and vowed to spend the rest of his life in the country.

Jouwe, 86, proceeded to the office of the Coordinating Public Welfare Minister Agung Laksono upon his arrival in Jakarta. Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi, who is a native Papuan, was also seen at the meeting.

“I left the Netherlands to settle on my home soil of Indonesia for good,” Jouwe was quoted by Antara.

He said he was happy with the Indonesian government’s reception of him and its commitment to solving Papua’s problems.

“I think Papua is part of Indonesia. We talked about the cooperation program, which is what we need. We have to develop the Papua land,” Jouwe said.

When asked about a series of attacks which are linked to OPM in Papua, Jouwe said the perpetrators were just “young people who know nothing.”

“They emulated what other people in other parts of Indonesia did,” he added.