LAKSAMANA.Net, August 8, 2004 11:51 PM
Review - Regions: OPM Lays Down Arms
aksamana.Net - Papuan leaders, including several from the Free Papua Organization,
OPM, have agreed to lay down arms and pursue self-determination from Indonesia
through peaceful means.
The leaders, who met at a secret congress near the border in Wewak, Papua New
Guinea, have also agreed to establish an East Timor-style united council for
independence. The aim is to end armed conflict with the Indonesian military (TNI),
alleged to have cost thousands of lives over the past 42 years.
The decision coincides with rising tension in Papua, following charges laid in June by
the FBI on a man associated with the OPM.
Anthonius Wamang has been accused of murdering two American schoolteachers
near the Freeport McMoran mine in West Papua in 2002.
Albert Kaliele, a pro-independence leader based in the Papuan provincial capital,
Jayapura, has confirmed that leaders across the province are prepared to lay down
their arms and embrace diplomacy. "We have to struggle peacefully until we're
independent," he told the Australlia Broadcasting Corporation.
Vanuatu recently offered to mediate peace talks with Papuan leaders over their
political future, and Indonesia expressed interest in the talks.
Meanwhile human rights groups from Papua have accused US Attorney-General John
Ashcroft of deliberately withholding evidence of the Indonesian military's involvement in
the Freeport killings.
Elsham, the main Papuan human rights group, and the Lemasa and Yahamak groups
strongly criticized Ashcroft for labeling the Papuan 40-year old separatist group OPM
as "terrorists", when he announced the indictment of Wamang. They said this gave
the military the green light to "go after" any Papuan considered a dissident.
One of the signatories to the statement, John Rumbiak from Elsham, and the Institute
for Human Rights Study and Advocacy, headed an 18-month investigation into the
ambush. He said the Indonesian police investigation clearly pointed to "the Indonesian
military as the ones that are responsible".
Rumbiak said Wamang admitted he had carried out the attack. "He admitted that he
himself and about 14 other members of his group were involved in the ambush on
August 31, 2002,” Rumbiak told SBS television. He said Wamang had strong
connections with the Indonesian military and had disobeyed orders from an OPM
commander, Kelly Kwalik, by mounting a violent attack.
Because of Ashcroft's desire to resume military links with Indonesia as part of the
US's war on terror, evidence of the army's involvement in the Freeport attack had been
conveniently ignored, Rumbiak said Wednesday (4/8/04). "Our organizations know
that this evidence was in the hands of the FBI since we gave it to them and later had
extensive discussions about it with them."
The groups say that Ashcroft apparently ignored evidence provided to FBI officers
investigating the murders at the Freeport gold mine that Wamang was at the time a
business partner with members of the military and used military ammunition.
"Anthonius told our organizations and the FBI that he got his ammunition from TNI
(armed forces) personnel," the groups said in their statement Wednesday (4/8/04)
"He said that the officers he dealt with knew exactly who he was and knew that he
was about to carry out an attack in the Freeport concession." Rumbiak said that while
Wamang had admitted his involvement in the attack, the military's involvement was
equally clear.
Ashcroft's failure to mention any possible military involvement in the attack prompted
the head of the Indonesian Armed Forces, Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, to say his forces
had been cleared and the way was now open for the resumption of a US training
program for Indonesian soldiers.
Both the US embassy in Jakarta and Freeport declined to comment.
Death or Surrender
At least eight members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) reportedly surrendered to
the military on Monday (2/8/04) following a weekend of killings when troops shot dead
11 men they claimed were separatist rebels.
Troops confiscated two AK-47 rifles, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition
from the scene of the killings in eastern and northern sections of the province on
Saturday and Sunday, said military spokesman Lt. Col. Asep Sapari. Rebel
spokesmen couldn't be reached for comment.
Capt. Candra Purnama, a spokesman of the military task force, said in Meulaboh that
troops found a handmade pistol, ammunition from a Colt pistol and an AK rifle, four
GAM flags, a green beret and a bundle of documents. "These were found based on a
tip from a rebel who has surrendered," he said.
Also in Aceh, five members of the local parliament have gone on trial for allegedly
misusing some $622,000 of the provincial budget.
The five are among 10 MPs currently detained for purchasing cars for personal use
with government cash.
Prosecutors told a court in Banda Aceh Wednesday (4/8/04) that the 10 are also
involved in a wider corruption trial implicating 26 members of the 30-strong provincial
parliament.
The trial follows the questioning of Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh as a suspect in the
alleged mark-up in the purchase price of a Russian helicopter for the local
government.
Maluku Military Discharges
No less than 56 soldiers based in the province have been discharged for indiscipline
and other violations, the military said Tuesday (3/8/04).
Of the 56, the courts had already convicted 12 while the remaining 44 had deserted
their ranks and their whereabouts remain unknown, Maluku military spokesman Major
Paiman told the press. The dismissals took place during a ceremony in Ambon, the
provincial capital.
Paiman did not disclose whether any of the violations were related to a wave of
communal clashes between Muslims and Christians that erupted in Ambon in January
1999 and left over 5,000 people dead.
During the 1999-2002 conflict some military and police units were accused of bias
either toward Muslims or Christians.
Bali Bombers Exiled
Seven of those convicted of roles in the Bali bombings are to be quarantined for one
month in Balikpapan prison after being transferred from Bali, prison official
Sutrimansyah Ridwan said Tuesday (4/8/04).
Ridwan said the convicts would not be allowed to receive visitors, including family
members.
Prison staff members would seek information on the convicts, including their families.
"We need the data so that we can contact their next of kin, should something
happen," the warden said.
The seven convicts are staying in a seven-meter by four-meter cell, with no special
facilities.
An officer at the penitentiary said security hadn't been upgraded due to the presence
of the seven convicts.
The convicts arrived at Balikpapan prison, some five kilometers away from the airport,
early in the morning, heavily guarded by Bali and East Kalimantan Mobile Brigade
(Brimob) officers, officers of the Balikpapan Police and several plainclothes policemen.
NGOs Demand Probe into Regent
A group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Wednesday (4/8/04) urged the
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to investigate an alleged Rp7 billion
($777,000) corruption case involving Muna, Southeast Sulawesi, Regent Ridwan Bae.
The NGOs, including the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and Indonesia
Corruption Watch (ICW), claim Bae was involved in auctions of illegally cut teakwood
in 2002 and 2003, which caused Rp15 billion in state losses.
ICW deputy coordinator Danang Widoyoko said prosecutors in Southeast Sulawesi
regency had brought three local administration officials to court, but were unable to
question the regent because they had not received permission from the President.
"Muna regency auctioned 12 million cubic meters of illegal teakwood valued at Rp15
billion in 2002 and 2003, but the regent only reported Rp8 billion in his accountability
speech last year," Widoyoko said.
Chairman of Walhi's Southeast Sulawesi chapter, La Ode Ota, alleged Bae knew
about and endorsed the auctioning of illegally cut teakwood.
"Based on court testimony, it appears the regent has legalized illegal logging. The
regency engineered the logging," Ota said.
Bae has denied the accusations, saying no state revenue was lost from the teakwood
auctions.
"The Rp17 billion raised from the auctions all went into the state's coffers. We have
the documents, including all of the bills from the auction. I do not understand why
some people would make these allegations," Bae said.
He claimed attempts to link him to corruption were politically motivated. "I have
explained everything to the public many times, but they keep on suspecting me," he
said.
He also said the NGOs should have sought confirmation from him before going public
with the allegations.
"A big institution like the ICW should not blow this case out of proportion. They should
have come here to seek proof of the alleged corruption instead of taking a certain
party's report for granted," said the regent, whose five-year term ends this year.
Bae said there had been attempts by individuals to undermine his administration, one
of those being a dismissed Golkar councilor who was the first to raise the graft
allegation.
Four Arrested Over Shooting
Police in Central Sulawesi have arrested four people charged with shooting at Jhonli
Tumbelaka, a sales executive with cigarette maker PT Djarum, in Parigi Moutong
regency.
The four were caught on Wednesday (4/8/04) in three separate sub districts in Poso
Pesisir, Poso regency, which adjoins Parigi Moutong.
Police confiscated two guns, a rifle and 33 nine millimeter and .38 caliber bullets, as
well as three motorcycles.
Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha said Thursday that the four were
arrested after a tip-off from local residents.
"The residents saw the suspects' motorcycles after the shooting and called the
police. We tracked down the owner of the motorcycles, which led us to the other
suspected perpetrators," said Ridha, adding that police were tracking down two other
members of the gang.
He also said investigators were grilling the four over the motive behind the attack, in
which Tumbelaka sustained a severe gunshot wound.
Police will also question the four suspects in connection with the recent shooting of
Reverend Susianti Tinulele, who was shot dead while delivering a sermon at Effata
Church in South Palu.
The two shootings are thought to be part of a series of attacks aimed at undermining
the government-sponsored peace deal, which ended a sectarian conflict that erupted
in 2000 in Poso. The three-year bloodshed claimed the lives of some 2,000 Muslims
and Christians.
While the situation has become relatively calm, sporadic armed attacks still continue,
generally thought to be perpetrated by third parties with a political agenda.
Mount Kerinci Ban
National park officials said Wednesday (4/8/04) they have banned hikers from tackling
one of the country's popular mountains following an increase in volcanic activity on the
peak.
Agung Nugroho, a spokesman for the Kerinci Seblat National Park, which includes
the 3,860-metre (12,892 foot) Mount Kerinci, said the ban was issued to halt a
traditional influx of crowds ahead of a national holiday.
"We have issued a letter on August 2 that bans climbing activities on Mount Kerinci,
especially in anticipation of National Day on August 17," Nugrono said. He said the
move followed discussion with vulcanologists late last month.
Increasing volcanic activities have been recorded in Kerinci since June, with the
volcano sporadically emitting smoke and noxious sulfur fumes that have even reached
areas around the foot of the mountain, Nugroho said.
Pillars for Borders
In other news from the regions it was announced Tuesday (3/8/04) that Indonesia will
build concrete pillars to mark its border with neighboring countries.
"The government will build concrete pillars in border areas. They won't be able to be
moved," the state news agency quoted President Megawati Sukarnoputri as saying
Monday (2/8/04) during a meeting with tour operators.
"I don't want to lose any more territory," Megawati was quoted as saying. The 1999
loss of East Timor after the territory voted for independence left Jakarta shell-shocked
but the two sides are now pursuing friendly ties and are finalizing their borders.
Some existing border markers have been moved by some people for their own
interests, Megawati said without elaborating.
Officials have said illegal loggers have moved border markers at the northern border on
Borneo Island into Indonesia from neighboring Malaysia.
The government will also produce a new map clearly delineating the border, Megawati
said.
The world's largest archipelago has more than 17,000 islands but has started paying
attention to those along its borders after losing two of them to Malaysia in a decision
by the International Court of Justice.
The court in December 2002 ended years of dispute by awarding Sipadan and Ligitan,
off Borneo, to Malaysia because Kuala Lumpur had asserted authority over them
since the 1930s. Jakarta has since announced it would set up a special team to
develop 92 small border islands.
Megawati has also traveled to a small island on the maritime border with Singapore to
reinforce her country's claim there. Indonesia also shares land frontiers with Papua
New Guinea and East Timor.
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