Pair Found Guilty Of Killing Police Officer

Two men, including a former Sinn Fein councillor, have been found guilty of the murder of Roman Catholic police officer Stephen Carroll in March 2009.

HOW ABOUT BENNY WENDA who is the prime suspect of the murder of two Papuan Policemen?

The judge said the two men, Brendon McConville , 40, and John Paul Wootton, 20, committed a “callous and cowardly crime”.

After the verdict Constable Carroll’s widow Kate hugged her husband’s police colleagues who had helped to investigate his murder.

Speaking to Sky News she said: “We as a family have been totally devastated since Stephen was so brutally taken away from us.

“My life will never be the same again.

“I am happy we have got this far but we have a long way to go. Not everyone connected with Steve’s murder has been found guilty.”

Wootton was also found guilty of collecting information for the use of terrorism.

He had tried to get hold of the address of another policeman weeks before Stephen Carroll’s murder.

Mr Carroll was shot dead two days after two British soldiers were murdered in a Real IRA gun attack outside the Massereene barracks in Antrim town.

He was killed by a single gunshot to the head as he sat in an unmarked police car while his colleagues answered a 999 call in the Lismore Manor area.

Responsibility for the murder was claimed by the Continuity IRA at the time.

The prosecution claimed the gunmen had lured the policeman to his death by prompting the emergency call out after throwing a brick through a house window.

Const Carroll, 48, from Banbridge, County Down, was the first policeman to be killed by Republican terrorists since the peace process reforms which saw the Royal Ulster Constabulary replaced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

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Source: Papua Story

President Yudhoyono: No offensive operations in Papua

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reaffirmed that there has not been offensive military operations in Papua since 2005, and since then the government has taken an approach of raising the population`s welfare to aid in solving problems in the province.

“Indonesia has managed problems in Papua as well as possible. For Indonesia, the Papua issue is not about sovereignty but a political, social, justice and welfare issue. I thank all friends who have given full support to Indonesia`s sovereignty and integrity. Since 2005, several weeks after I rose to the presidency, I stopped the use of the security approach and chose a welfare and justice approach instead (to deal with problems there),” he said in a speech before 128 ambassadors and representatives from international organizations at a meeting here on Wednesday (15/02).

Since then, he said, Papua has been granted special autonomy and a special budget has been allocated for development in a number of sectors in which Papua was considered behind other regions.

“Based on the MP3EI, (the master plan for acceleration and expansion of Indonesian economic development), we have set up a Papua-Maluku corridor that is undergoing development acceleration with a concrete agenda and budget,” he said.

Regarding the presence of police and military forces there, President Yudhoyono said, as in other regions, they are assigned to maintain order, conduct law enforcement and, for the military, safeguard the country`s territorial integrity, since Papua borders another country.

He said “only four battalions are assigned to secure the border, in addition to a local unit, and there has not been any military operations so far. Indeed, separatist activities still happen in Papua, claiming lives of police officers, military members and local residents. It is legitimate for us to assign our soldiers and policemen there for law enforcement purposes.”

Regarding excesses such as inappropriate acts by police and military members, President Yudhoyono reaffirmed that the government and the military (TNI) leadership would take harsh actions against those found committing such offenses.

“To deal with excesses, such as inappropriate actions that violate the law and human rights, sanctions would be given and the law would be enforced. Those who are guilty will certainly be punished. There will be no impunity. So, just follow the judicial processes. We wish to be transparent, as in the trials of terrorists,” he said.

President Yudhoyono added, “If (you) have negative information please inform us, inform the TNI commander, or the national police chief and we will investigate it. No incident will be covered up.

Further, I myself and the government will continue working seriously to overcome problems in Papua and obstacles to development.

Source: ANTARA News