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Indonesian Armed Police Open Fire On Irian Jaya Protestors
by Kazi Mahmood
JAKARTA (IslamOnline) - The tense Irian Jaya province burst into bloodshed yesterday as police fired upon a group of bow-and-arrow-wielding separatists during a clash in Merauke, a town southeastern corner of the province.
The clash occurred when separatists tried to raise the Morning Star flag during which they challenged the police and fired arrows at settlers from other parts of Indonesia, wounding three.
Eight people were killed and five injured during the clash, including one settler from Java Island who later died from his injuries, police chief General Sylvanus Wenas said.
It was not clear whether the separatists physically attacked police before the officers opened fire. Most of the dead on Saturday were supporters of the Free Papua Movement, reports say.
The deaths bring to nine the number of people killed during the past two days as the province marks the anniversary of a failed 1961 independence bid. The anniversary has prompted a security clampdown in the region.
The incident broke out when supporters of the separatist movement hoisted the Morning Star flag at 7am at the government square. Two hours later they lowered the flag and dispersed.
Some of them, however, returned to the square bringing arrows and knives, and insisted that the flag be raised, sparking a clash with the police.
Merauke district head, Hubla Gebze, confirmed the incident, saying he was at the scene when it happened.
"When [the incident] broke out, the chief of the Merauke police and I were there," Gebze said.
He said some supporters of the separatist group had lowered and tore the Indonesian red-and-white flags at the local tourism office and the provincial development agency.
Sources say the tearing of the Indonesian flags sparked the incident and forced the police to shoot.
Previously, the local government and the Papua Presidium Council agreed to hoist the Morning Star flag only on Friday, when the separatist movement commemorates the 39th anniversary of the "independence" of Papua, as they call Irian Jaya.
Analysts and activists had feared the anniversary marking a 1961 declaration of independence by Irianese tribal chiefs could trigger clashes between security forces and separatist supporters.
Past attempts by security forces to haul down flags triggered deadly riots, including one that killed 40 people in the remote town of Wamena last month.
A riot erupted in the highland town of Wamena in October after police removed such flags, leaving dozens dead.
In Jakarta, police fired tear-gas to disperse some 300 Irianese students who staged a pro-independence rally outside the U.S. Embassy here yesterday.
Tear-gas was fired after protesters ignored warnings from police to stop displaying separatist flags of their troubled homeland of Irian Jaya (West Papua).
In an effort to push the students away from the scene, the police fired a volley of tear-gas, and stripped them of their flags and posters, forcing most of the protesters to flee. The police arrested at least seven people.
Several human rights groups yesterday condemned the decision by police to arrest leaders of the Papua Presidium Council.
The rights groups said the arrests were “a dangerous act of speculation” that may reduce public trust in the government, police and military.
Papua Presidium Council officials were detained prior to yesterday’s muted commemoration of West Papua’s unrecognized independence.
Leaders of the Indonesian Human Rights and Legal Aid Association (PBHI) Hendardi said the arrests were a foolish move as they will only result in further opposition to Jakarta and greater support for the independence movement.
“The speculative decision [to arrest] them may disadvantage the central government’s efforts to win the trust of the public [in Irian Jaya],” Hendardi said in a press statement.
He said the government should be more careful in dealing with the West Papua (Irian Jaya) issue, as well as the restive province of Aceh.
Hendardi said the arrests of Papua Presidium Council leaders Theys Eluay and Thaha Al Hamid, as well as Aceh separatist Mohamad Nazar, will only increase the two province’s mistrust of the central government.
Theys and Thaha are charged with treason. Nazar is charged with subversion because he stated that most people in Aceh do not want the territory to remain part of Indonesia because the central government exploits the region’s wealth, and the military has allegedly killed thousands of people there with impunity.
Hendardi said the government’s only option to resolve matters in the two provinces is to hold talks and negotiations to achieve peaceful solutions. “And for that to happen, they [the jailed separatists] have to be released,” he added.
In addition, police have declared 70 civilian guards of the separatist Free Papua Movement as fugitives for attacking policemen in Fakfak district in the Irian Jaya province.
They are accused of attacking two teams of policemen in Brongkendik village, claiming two lives and injuring tens of others. Police, however, denied the attacks were related to Friday’s commemoration of independence.
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