LAKSAMANA.Net, September 15, 2002 10:46 PM
Regions: Police at Odds with Army
September 15, 2002 10:46 PM
Laksamana.Net - The ambush at the Papua Freeport mine that cost the lives of two
Americans and an Indonesia has led to a clear break between the police and the
military.
Statements by regional police commander I Made Pustika suggest some evidence
continues to suggest a ‘black operations’ role by elements of the military.
While Pustika has drawn no firm conclusions, his comments Saturday that an alleged
rebel shot near the scene of the ambush was suffering from a medical condition that
made him most likely unable to operate in the difficult terrain throws new suspicion on
the role of elements of the military.
The Washington Post reported that Pustika announced that the suspect was suffering
from extreme engorgement of the testicles, a condition unlikely to have allowed him to
negotiate the difficult terrain at the site.
“An examination of the body also concluded that the man was killed about 24 hours before
the soldiers said they shot him, a discrepancy that Pastika said concerns him,” the
Post reported.
Pastika stressed that it was too early to judge whether soldiers, separatists or a
disillusioned group of local tribesmen were behind the attack, the first on expatriate
workers at the mine site since work began there in 1967.
He said that the army’s version of the incident, that it was the work of the rebel Free
Papua Movement (OPM), had to be believed until other facts proved otherwise.
Pastika said he is examining the possibility that soldiers might have orchestrated the
attack in an effort to extort money and other concessions from Freeport.
Pastika told the Post in an earlier interview that members of the military may have
carried out the attack to extort money or other concessions from Freeport.
“There are some rumors about the possibility of TNI or other personnel maybe doing the
attack. This is also one of the possibilities,” Pastika said.
In new violence in the area, an Indonesian soldier was wounded Saturday (14/9/02)
close to the scene of the original ambush.
The Age newspaper reported that gunmen opened fire shortly after midday on a
four-wheel-drive vehicle carrying four soldiers who were taking food to a military post.
The car was hit by gunfire three times, wounding one soldier in the leg and arm. The
soldiers reportedly returned fire and pursued the gunmen but could not find them.
Military commander Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon continues to deny that his troops
played any role in the killings.
US ambassador Ralph Boyce also hedged his bets in comments Tuesday (10/9/02).
It is “very much an open matter as to who murdered the unfortunate victims in
Papua,” he said, Agence France Presse reported.
Boyce’s comments laid open the blame for the attack on a Freeport convoy at the
end of last month that took the lives of two Americans and one Indonesian.
Maluku Link to Other Violence: Bishop
The perpetrators of acts of violence in Maluku may be linked to those stirring other
local conflicts, the Bishop of Amboina, Monseigneur P.C. Mandagi, told local press
Saturday (14/9/02).
The Crisis Center Diocese of Amboina, in a short summary of the bishop’s
comments, said he also confirmed other accounts pointing to economic benefit to
certain parties from a continuation of conflict.
“By means of prolongation of the conflict one wants to secure for oneself a certain position
in government or being rewarded with promotion. As long as the local situation is
unstable, the impending election for a new governor might be postponed, installing a
caretaking governor instead,” the account from the Crisis Center states.
The bishop’s suggestion that there may be links across Indonesia’s map of terror
mirrored remarks made by National Police Commander Da’i Bachtiar during a recent
visit to Ambon.
“The conflicts in the various areas of Indonesia might be linked one to another, having their
source at and being coordinated by a national or even international terrorist network.
“By means of these acts of terror they might try to prove that Indonesia is an unsafe
country with a weak government and inept military and police security forces, a
country with a government that cannot protect its own citizens.
“In that case the conclusion would be: to topple the government and replace it by one to
their liking, i.e. by them themselves,” the account continued.
The bishop added that neither the Muslim nor Christian communities in Maluku were
prepared to be provoked by such violence any more.
While conditions remained calm in Ambon in the wake of the killings, Christians were
reported to be still avoiding the Muslim strongholds of Batumerah and Galunggung.
Two unexploded bombs were found at a market Friday (13/9/02) but were removed
safely by the military.
In other news from the area, The Jakarta Post reported that the police investigation
into the murder of three women on the island of Sapura has turned up a number of
military issue cartridges at the scene.
Date for Aceh Talks
A new round of peace talks on Aceh earlier scheduled to begin early this month may
now take place early in October, Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono said.
The last round of peace negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in May
agreed to look at ways of ending the conflict, but resulted in no firm action.
The government has given GAM a draft peace agreement via peace broker Henry
Dunant Center, Yudhoyono said, but gave no details of the contents of the draft.
GAM said it welcomed the opportunity for more talks. Negotiators said the meeting
should concentrate on ways to end hostilities and an all-Aceh dialogue.
Violence continued in the province with another murder of a teacher, cementing a
trend in which at least 60 teachers have been killed in the past four years.
In the latest incident, Rohana Hasan was riding on a motorbike with her 10-year-old
son when she was stopped by unidentified gunmen near her school at Gandapura in
North Aceh.
The men demanded she hand over the motorbike, but Hasan’s protested, at which
the gunmen shot his mother in the head and took off with the bike, The Jakarta Post
reported.
GAM claimed the life of an army lieutenant shot in the head in an ambush in Bireun
district and its men ambushed two personnel from the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob)
in an ambush while they were on patrol at a market at Seunuddon.
British-born Australian researcher Lesley McCulloch, American Joy-Lee Sadler and
their Acehnese guide and translator, Fitra bin Amin, were detained after allegedly
emerging from a known GAM stronghold in South Aceh.
Officials said McCulloch’s visa had expired and she would be deported. They
stressed that neither she nor the American nurse had been arrested.
The army alleged the three women were in possession of information about the
Acehnese independence movement. They have been denied visits by lawyers and
family.
Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific (ASAP) in a media release Sunday
(15/9/02) ordered a demonstration at the Sydney office of Garuda Airlines in protest at
the detentions.
ASAP said the Aceh Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence
(Kontras Aceh) was campaigning for their release. “Kontras has notified Action in
Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific (ASAP) that, in a phone call to Joy-Lee Sadler,
her
son Dante was told she had been beaten,” the release stated.
Poso Preacher Denies Carrying Arms
A Christian preacher accused of carrying weapons in his vehicle in the Poso area of
Central Sulawesi told police in Jakarta he had no knowledge of any arms.
The Rev. Rinaldy Damanik told reporters he was being questioned as a witness, and
not as a suspect. Police had earlier said they condiered him a suspect.
He said he was at least 50 meters from the vehicle when the arms were found by
police. He earlier suggested the arms had been planted.
He was helping to evacuate Christians from the village of Mayumba, attacked by
unknown forces on August 15, leaving four dead and 43 houses destroyed.
Lombok Sect Attacked
An arson attack on property belonging to a controversial Muslim sect in eastern
Lombok peaked two days of violence in the area last week.
The Jakarta Post reported that as many as a thousand people attacked a building
operated by the exclusive Ahmadiyah sect and set fire to its contents Wednesday
(11/9/02).
A day earlier another mob trashed a mosque operated by the sect, which orders its
followers not to associate with other Muslims.
The group was banned in 1983 but continues to operate in the area.
Tension Remains High in Banjarmarsin
The Governor of South Kalimantan, Sjachriel Darham, continues to defy his ouster by
the regional assembly, leading a demonstration of some 3,000 civil servants through
the city Thursday (12/9/02) in a protest at the attempt to remove him.
In a speech, Sjachriel admitted making errors in the past but said he would pick up
his game, The Jakarta Post reported.
Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno has said the assembly had no grounds to sack
the Governor, and Sjachriel says he’ll only stand down if President Megawati orders
him to do so.
A crowd opposing the Governor was quickly dispersed by police but continued to
demand to see the Governor, who left the government office by a back door.
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