2) Brimob Officer Shot Dead in Papua; Police Pursuit Shooter
3) British Ambassador Moazzam Malik to Visit West Papua
4) Police Adopt 'Delicate' Approach to Avoid Casualties in Papua: Spokesman
5) Papua police face difficulty seeking release of 1,300 villager hostages
6) Gunmen Kill Elite Police Officer in Papua
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1) Komnas HAM want police to take caution when dealing with Papuan separatists
Gemma Holliani Cahya The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Wed, November 15, 2017 | 03:55 pm
Crisis: Police officers distribute food provided by the Mimika administration to residents in Banti village, Tembagapura district, Mimika, Papua. (Courtesy of the Papua Police/File)
New commissioners of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) reminded the National Police to be cautious in solving the hostage crisis in Banti and Kimbely villages in Mimika regency, Papua. More than 1,300 people have been taken hostage by armed Papuan separatists, who are reportedly part of the Free Papua Movement, since Nov.5.
Commissioner for human rights enforcement sub-commission, Amiruddin Al Rahab, said on Tuesday that each party involved in the crisis must refrain from actions that could lead to casualties, and ensure civilians have better access to food and basic needs.
“Komnas HAM will keep monitoring everything […]. We don’t want to disturb the situation by making more statements,” Amiruddin said.
On Tuesday morning, an unidentified assailant shot at a patrol car owned by US-based giant gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia, injuring one employee.
Tensions have risen in Mimika after a Brimob officer died in an exchange of fire with armed assailants in Utikini, Tembagapura district, Mimika, in late October. On Nov.5, an armed group set ablaze five kiosks owned by local people in Utikini. (ebf)
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2) Brimob Officer Shot Dead in Papua; Police Pursuit Shooter
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A joint force of the TNI Army and Brimob are still chasing after a group of armed men who terrorized Papua's Tembagapura city in Mimika this morning. During the terror, a Papua Brimob officer was killed by a bullet shot.
Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Ahmad Musthofa Kamal said they are intensifying the pursuit operation because the armed men fiercely fought the police back.
"We are still after them. Hopefully we will catch them soon so we can find out why they did it and what is their purpose," he said on Wednesday, November 15.
At around 4:00 am this morning in Papua, a group of men bearing weapons got into a gunfight with the Papua Brimob's B Detachment around Mile 69, Tembagapura district.
During the clash, two Brimob members were shot, one of them-- Brigadier Firman, died. His compatriot Brig. Head Rumente is still being treated at the Tembagapura Hospital.
According to Kamal, in the last few days the armed group has been firing their weapons at members of the police and the army, as well as to workers of Freeport Indonesia and its sub-contractors. The group, he said, even attacked civilians in Banti and Kimbeli, Tembagapura District.
Kamal said this morning's gunfight happened when the police were tracking down the men who shot at a Freeport car at the same location at Mile 69. During the shooting, a Puncak Jaya Power worker Raden Totok was shot in the head.
ANTARA
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3) British Ambassador Moazzam Malik to Visit West Papua
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - British Ambassador to Indonesia Moazzam Malik will visit the provinces of Papua and West Papua on Nov 16 to follow up on several areas of cooperation between the governments of UK and Indonesia.
The activities are part of the regular visits to several provinces of Indonesia as stated in a press release received on Tuesday.
In West Papua Province, Malik will visit the cities of Sorong and Manokwari. He will thereafter visit Jayapura City in Papua Province. During the visits, he will meet local- and provincial-level partners and stakeholders, including business people, communities and academics.
"This will be my third visit to the Papua region since I started serving as an ambassador. My visits aim to discuss issues of mutual interest, including climate change, education and development," he noted.
Malik expressed interest in returning to the University of Papua in Manokwari City and encourage Papuan students to continue their studies in the UK, including through the UK scholarship scheme of Chevening.
"The UK supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. We consider Papua as an important area for Indonesia. We support the efforts of the Indonesian government and society to overcome the challenges in Papua region and expect the province to enjoy stability, peace, and prosperity similar to other provinces in Indonesia," he said.
The Chevening Scholarship is a scholarship program funded by the British government along with partner organizations. Indonesia was the fourth-largest recipient of the Chevening scholarship in the world.
As many as 80 packages of Chevening scholarship have been handed out to Indonesians during the 2018-2019 academic year.
The British Embassy in Indonesia continues to encourage Papuan students having strong leadership qualities to study in the UK through the UK's Chevening and Indonesia's Educational Fund Management Institute scholarship schemes in a bid to help the province realize its full potential.
ANTARA
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4) Police Adopt 'Delicate' Approach to Avoid Casualties in Papua: Spokesman
By : Sheany | on 9:59 AM November 15, 2017
Jakarta. National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto told reporters on Tuesday (15/11) that police are approaching the situation involving an armed group besieging two villages in Timika, Papua, "delicately" to avoid casualties.
"The police are still hoping to achieve a resolution through persuasive efforts, we don’t want any casualties. We want to resolve this issue in Banti and Kimbely delicately," Setyo said.
A group of gunmen known as the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) allegedly laid siege to Banti and Kimbely -- two villages in Timika, Papua, which are home to more than 1,300 residents -- for more than two weeks.
Banti and Kimbely are located near the Utikini river in Tembagapura district, next to the Grasberg copper mine operated by the Indonesian unit of US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan.
According to Setyo, police are refraining from asserting a hard-power approach.
"It’s not that the police are incapable [of fighting back], but if we are assertive we will definitely incur casualties. So we’re trying our best to take the persuasive approach [through negotiations]," Setyo said.
He added that the government has sent two containers of food supply for the villagers, but they have yet to gain full access because the roads to the villages have been blocked.
Local authorities are currently in the middle of negotiations with the armed group. Setyo said police have attempted to provide a more effective means of communication by providing radios, though this measure was refused by the group.
The police have claimed that the siege was sparked by economic issues, though the spokesman did not dismiss the possibility of other factors contributing to the situation.
"We are certain that economic issues played a role, but there are other factors that we need to look into, which must be based on facts," Setyo said.
On Tuesday morning, unknown gunmen shot at a vehicle owned by Freeport Indonesia, injuring one.
Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said the gunmen are provocateurs who want to disturb peace in the region.
Papua Police on Saturday issued a wanted list of 21 men from the armed group that cut access to 1,300 people in Banti and Kimbely villages in Tembagapura last week.
Police believe the militants are led by Sabinus Waker.
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5) Papua police face difficulty seeking release of 1,300 villager hostages
Jakarta | Wed, November 15, 2017 | 04:17 pm
The National Police have said they found it difficult to provide assistance to 1,300 people in Banti and Kimbely villages in Tembagapura district, Mimika regency, Papua, who have become hostages of a Papuan separatist group.
Armed separatists from the Free Papua Movement (OPM) have been holding the residents hostage since Nov. 5.
Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto said on Tuesday that the group had closed all the access points to enter the villages.
"They made holes in the roads and set obstructions, so we could not use the roads," Setyo said as quoted by kompas.com. He added that the police also found it difficult to distribute assistance via helicopter because there was no landing area in the villages.
"There's no base for airplanes or helicopters to land. It is a mountainous area with cold, thick fog," Setyo added.
He went on to say that OPM members had been hiding around the villages. They sometimes climbed up the mountain and stayed in the villages.
Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) presidium chairman Neta S. Pane previously cited the hostage crisis as a more aggressive strategy taken by the OPM.
Citing its investigation, the watchdog said OPM had moved their headquarters from Australia to Suva, the capital of Fiji, a South Pacific island country.
“Their shift in strategy is related to the changes in their headquarters and organization,” Neta said on Monday. “The government must anticipate the new maneuvers of these armed criminals.” (foy)
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6) Gunmen Kill Elite Police Officer in Papua
By : Telly Nathalia | on 8:59 PM November 15, 2017
Jakarta. Gunmen opened fire on police investigators, killing one and injuring another near the Grasberg mine operated by the Indonesian unit of Freeport-McMoRan in Mimika, Papua, on Wednesday (15/11).
The shooting took place just a day after armed men shot at a Freeport Indonesia vehicle, wounding an employee.
"Two members of the Police's Mobile Brigade [Brimob] were shot by an armed group while on patrol," Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Commr. Suryadi Diaz said.
He said the body of Brig. Firman and wounded Brig. Yongky Rumte were taken to the district's capital Timika by helicopter.
Police are searching for the assailants.
Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar told reporters in a message sent through WhatsApp that the armed group was formed in 2015. While no incidents were reported in 2016, the gunmen became active in September and are now besieging two villages in the district, Banti and Kimbely, which are home to more than 1,300 residents.
Police are trying to resolve the situation through persuasive measures to avoid casualties.
According to National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasito, food supplies were sent to the villages that have been sealed off since more than two weeks.
Local authorities are in the middle of negotiations with the armed group. Setyo said police have tried to provide mobile radios to improve communication, but this measure was rejected by the gunmen.
While police said the siege was triggered by economic issues, Setyo did not dismiss the possibility that other factors involved.
Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said the gunmen are provocateurs who want to disturb the peace in the region.
Last weekend, police issued a wanted list of 21 members of the group, which they believe is led by Sabinus Waker.
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