LAKSAMANA.Net, September 17, 2002 02:34 AM
Shots Fired at Papuan Police Investigators
September 17, 2002 02:34 AM
Laksamana.Net - Unidentified gunmen have opened fire on a car of police officers
investigating the murder of three teachers near the giant Freeport gold mine in Papua
province.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported Tuesday (17/9/02) that the vehicle of police was
shot at on Saturday at the same time a car of soldiers was also fired on.
The vehicles were attacked nearby the site where two American teachers and one
Indonesian teacher employed by Freeport were shot dead during an ambush on
August 31.
The Indonesian military claims members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) were
responsible for the murders, but human rights activists and many seasoned Papua
observers believe the Army carried out the killings in an effort to extort more money
from Freeport and to justify a crackdown against the rebels.
Papua Police chief Major General I Made Pastika has refused to rule out the
possibility that the military killed the teachers.
A day after the killings, the military claimed it had shot dead an OPM member
involved in the ambush, but Pastika on Sunday said an autopsy revealed the man had
been dead at least 10 hours before soldiers claimed to have shot him.
Local human rights activist John Rumbiak identified the slain man as Danianus
Waker, whom he said had been a military informer for two years.
Rumbiak also expressed concern at the build-up of troops in the area, saying that
locals were very frightened.
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