Paras Indonesia, July, 26 2006 @ 09:58 pm
Setting An Example For Papua
By: Roy Tupai
Rival Papuan tribes engaged in a deadly feud could take a lesson from Governor
Barnabas Suebu and his political opponent John Ibo, who have finally decided to bury
the hatchet after a prolonged dispute over the outcome of this year's provincial
election.
Suebu became Papua's first directly elected governor in March, but Ibo launched a
legal challenge, claiming the election victory was due to vote-rigging and other unfair
practices.
The two figures made peace this week, with Suebu on Tuesday (25/7/06) being
installed as governor by Home Affairs Minister Mohammad Ma'ruf. Suebu had
previously served as governor from 1988 to 1993, when the province was still called
Irian Jaya.
Ibo was willing to put aside their differences at Tuesday's ceremony, holding hands
with Suebu and his deputy Alex Hessegem as a gesture of peace and unity. He said
all parties should stop fighting and instead devote their energies to improving the
people's welfare.
Cynics fear that members of the Papuan elite will continue to feather their own nests
by profiting from illegal logging and other shady business practices. The new
governor's biggest challenge will be ensuring that a special autonomy package given
to Papua in 2002 starts bringing tangible benefits to the resource-rich but
underdeveloped province, which has been dogged by corruption, food shortages,
human rights abuses by the security forces, separatist unrest and ethnic conflicts.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday flew to Papua for a four-day
visit. He is scheduled to tour various regions to unveil new development plans.
He will need to deliver. Results of a new survey conducted by National Solidarity for
Papua (SNUP) and the Partnership for Governance Reform in Indonesia show that
most Papuans feel special autonomy has failed to achieve meaningful results.
More than 75% of the 323 respondents from across six regencies said autonomy had
failed to improve health care, education and the economy, due to widespread
corruption and nepotism among the political elite.
Nine Killed in Tribal Clashes
The death toll in clashes between rival tribes in Papua's Mimika regency has
increased to nine, following days of fighting with traditional weapons such as arrows
and spears.
The violence outside Timika town was sparked after a child from the Dani tribe
apparently suffered an epileptic fit and drowned while swimming in a river at a
transmigration site. Dani members became angry, claiming the child had been in the
care of the Damal tribe.
The dead child was identified as Johny Murib alias Nugi, the son of the Bhintuka
village chief. Fighting started on Friday (21/7/06) in the Kwamki Lama area when
Damal tribe member Abinus Yohanes Kogoya went to Nugi's funeral. He was accused
of neglecting the child and then fatally wounded by arrows.
The Dani reportedly refused to hand over Kogoya's body for cremation but instead
cremated the corpse in their village. This prompted the Damal to attack on Sunday.
Initial reports said four people had been killed after being struck by arrows, spears or
machetes. By Tuesday the death toll had reached nine, while dozens of people had
been wounded.
Officials at the nearby Grasberg gold and copper mine operated by US firm
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold denied the killings were linked to the mine, which
in the past has been the target of violent protests.
The nine casualties have been identified as Abinus Yohanes Kogoya, Korinus
Kogoya, Yonis Momsel, Elemutme Murib, Benny Momsel, Minus Murib,
Nebelmukme, Yammir Kiwab and Kalbe Tenbak. Reports said five were from the Dani
tribe and four from the Damal tribe.
Locals said the violence would stop if there were an equal number of casualties on
each side, but it would continue if one tribe has to avenge more deaths.
Kwamki Lima is part of Harapan district, which is in Mimika Baru district, Mimika
regency. Timika is the capital of Mimika.
Mimika Police chief Senior Commissioner Jimmy Tuilan said the wounded were being
treated at Freeport's Mitra Masyarakat Hospital in Timika.
He said two civilians, identified by their initials as P.W. and R.W., had been detained
on suspicion of masterminding the violence.
Tuilan expressed hope that peace would be restored after police had approached
senior religious and community figures to appeal for an end to the violence. "Hopefully
the various efforts that were carried out could curb ethnic groups' war in the region."
He said 200 personnel from the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) and Anti-Riot (Dalmas) police
were deployed to the region to prevent the violence from spreading. He warned they
might have to take strong measures to disarm the tribes.
"I have given the tribes a deadline to reach an agreement and give up their bladed
weapons. And if the war between these ethnic groups continues, then the police will
be forced to carry out raids for bladed weapons, not only in public places, but also by
sweeping residents' houses. If the bladed weapons are handed over, then the situation
will be pacified," he was quoted as saying by the Media Indonesia daily.
He said the local police were still able to handle the unrest, but would seek help from
Brimob guards at Freeport if the situation worsens.
Tuilan said he wants to resolve the problem without resorting to using firearms to
separate the two sides. "We remain committed to not firing gunshots. The
segregation is being done by security officers armed with shields. This is quite risky,
but it's the best choice in partitioning the masses," he was quoted as saying by the
Kompas daily.
Copyright (c) 2005 - PT Laksamana Global International. All rights reserved
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