1) TNI, separatists clash on
election day
2) Prabowo to allow foreign journalists enter Papua
3) OPM-linked gang behind attack: Police
4) Missionary plane crashes in Papua
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1) TNI, separatists clash on election day
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Election Watch | Wed, April 09 2014, 10:45 AM
A clash between Army soldiers and armed separatists erupted in Mulia, the capital of Puncak Jaya regency, on Wednesday when people in other parts of Papua province flocked to polling stations for the legislative election.
Antara news agency reported that based on military sources in Jayapura, the Cendrawasih Military Command's Battalion 751 personnel confiscated an AR-15 rifle from the separatists.
The security situation in the easternmost province of Indonesia remains fragile. On April 5, 2014, an exchange of fire between military personnel and armed rebels also occurred in the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border area.
A soldier named Tugino and Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Alfred Papare sustained injuries after being hit by by stray bullets.
The incident occurred when Indonesian security personnel were monitoring the security situation around the border area after armed civilians hoisted the outlawed Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag at a lighthouse there.
Following the clash on April 5, Indonesia closed the border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) in Skouw-Wutung. (***)
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2) Prabowo to allow foreign journalists enter Papua
Margareth S.Aritonang, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Election Watch | Wed, April 09 2014, 3:41 PM
Gerindra Party chief patron and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto said that if he was elected as a president, he would open Papua, the country's easternmost province, to foreign journalists.
The former commander of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) emphasized that any foreigner could come to Indonesia as long as they adhered to the country's regulations.
"We'll see about the regulations later, but, [I think] it shouldn't be a problem. This is a free country," Prabowo said, responding to journalists' questions on the matter after he cast his vote at a polling station near his mansion in Hambalang, West Java.
Several presidential hopefuls have apparently focused on Papua — one of the country’s most-conflict prone areas —to win the support from the electorate.
Other than Prabowo, who has been nominated by the Gerindra Party to represent the party in the July election, Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who has also been named a presidential candidate by the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI-P) also voiced similar support for Papua during a visit to the house of prominent singer Iwan Fals earlier this month.
"There is no reason foreign journalists should be banned from Papua if there are no existing laws that support it," Prabowo said.
In 2012, a human rights session at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) recommended the government to allow foreign journalists to enter the country's resource rich land. The recommendation was included in a list of another recommendations provided for Indonesia in order to fulfill its commitment to protect and uphold human rights in the country. (ebf)
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3) OPM-linked gang behind attack: Police
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura | Archipelago | Wed, April 09 2014, 10:22 AM
The Papua Police are working with the Papua New Guinea (PNG) police in a manhunt for armed assailants who fled to PNG after a shootout on Saturday with security forces in Skouw Wutung, on the border of Indonesia and PNG.
“The police have investigated and have identified the armed civilian group as being from the Mathias Wenda gang, based on field evidence,” said Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian in Jayapura on Tuesday.
Mathias Wenda is a leader of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).
The evidence came in the form of an identity card under the name of a person with the rank of major, signed by Mathias.
“The finding leads to the Mathias Wenda gang,” Tito confirmed.
Based on police information, the gang usually operates along the Indonesia-PNG border in Skouw Wutung and is based in Victoria village, PNG.
“We will take advantage of our good relations and cooperation, which is well-established with PNG, and take legal action against these armed criminals,” he said.
The armed gang carried out an attack on Saturday morning on the Indonesia-PNG border when around 20 armed men took down an Indonesian flag and raising the Morning Star separatist flag.
The flag has long been seen by the Indonesian government as a symbol of rebellion.
The armed men set fire to a banner, damaged a car wash and piled wood on the streets, blocking traffic in the process. The gang members also fired at security personnel who were conducting surveillance
on them.
In the incident, Jayapura City Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Alfred Papare and Indonesian Military (TNI) Sgt. Major Tugino were injured.
During the gunfire, security personnel were able to shoot and hit three of the gang members, but they immediately fled into the jungle of the neighboring country.
“We’ve tightened security on the border to prevent a similar incident from recurring,” said Tito.
In regard to the legislative election, Tito urged residents not to be provoked by misleading rumors.
“Rumor has it that two people were killed in Nafri, whereas in fact both of them were killed in a traffic accident,” he went on.
“The driver of the car involved in the accident has been held, so the rumor of the killing is untrue.”
Tito emphasized the police and the TNI would beef up security ahead of the election as part of an effort to maintain peace and security.
Meanwhile, the Indonesia-PNG border area will be closed to the public from April 6 until April 12 due to the election in Indonesia.
“The police have investigated and have identified the armed civilian group as being from the Mathias Wenda gang, based on field evidence,” said Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian in Jayapura on Tuesday.
Mathias Wenda is a leader of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).
The evidence came in the form of an identity card under the name of a person with the rank of major, signed by Mathias.
“The finding leads to the Mathias Wenda gang,” Tito confirmed.
Based on police information, the gang usually operates along the Indonesia-PNG border in Skouw Wutung and is based in Victoria village, PNG.
“We will take advantage of our good relations and cooperation, which is well-established with PNG, and take legal action against these armed criminals,” he said.
The armed gang carried out an attack on Saturday morning on the Indonesia-PNG border when around 20 armed men took down an Indonesian flag and raising the Morning Star separatist flag.
The flag has long been seen by the Indonesian government as a symbol of rebellion.
The armed men set fire to a banner, damaged a car wash and piled wood on the streets, blocking traffic in the process. The gang members also fired at security personnel who were conducting surveillance
on them.
In the incident, Jayapura City Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Alfred Papare and Indonesian Military (TNI) Sgt. Major Tugino were injured.
During the gunfire, security personnel were able to shoot and hit three of the gang members, but they immediately fled into the jungle of the neighboring country.
“We’ve tightened security on the border to prevent a similar incident from recurring,” said Tito.
In regard to the legislative election, Tito urged residents not to be provoked by misleading rumors.
“Rumor has it that two people were killed in Nafri, whereas in fact both of them were killed in a traffic accident,” he went on.
“The driver of the car involved in the accident has been held, so the rumor of the killing is untrue.”
Tito emphasized the police and the TNI would beef up security ahead of the election as part of an effort to maintain peace and security.
Meanwhile, the Indonesia-PNG border area will be closed to the public from April 6 until April 12 due to the election in Indonesia.
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4) Missionary plane crashes in Papua
Wed, April 9 2014 10:01 | 499 Views
Jayapura (ANTARA News) - A missionary plane belonging to Advent Christian, crashed in Doyo, Jayapura District, Papua Province, on Wednesday.
The number of victims and the cause of the plane are not known yet.
(Uu.F001/R013)
The number of victims and the cause of the plane are not known yet.
(Uu.F001/R013)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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