DIRTY TRICKS IN FREEPORT ATTACK IN WEST PAPUA
West Papua supporter | 02.09.2002 02:21
UNIDENTIFIED GUNMEN ATTACK FREEPORT WORKERS CONVOY, KILLING 2 AMERICANS AND AN INDONESIAN. INNDO, US, AUST BLAME OPM, HOWEVER EVEIDENCE IS COMING TO HAND THAT KILLINGS HAVE BEEN ORCHESTRATED BY INDONESIAN MILITARY. (3 ARTICLES)
3 ARTICLES
Freeport killings heighten fears of Indonesian crackdown
PLUS Killings "orchestrated by the Indonesian military"
PLUS Witnesses on today's attack in Tembagapura
1. From AWPA
The Australian 2 Sept. 02
Freeport killings heighten fears of Indonesian crackdown
By Don Greenlees, Jakarta correspondent and Amanda Hodge
THE weekend murder of three employees of a US mining company in Papua, including two Americans, risks seriously escalating tensions between Jakarta and the independence movement in the rebellious Indonesian province. Unidentified gunmen shot the three and wounded another eight people during an ambush on Saturday in a rugged mountain region of southwest Papua, near the giant copper and gold mine owned by US company Freeport McMoRan. The worst attack in the mine's troubled three-decade history came amid concerns among Papuan leaders that Jakarta is manoeuvring to crack down on the civilian and armed groups pressing for independence.
Reinforcements were sent into the area around the mountain-top Freeport mine after the attack to carry out sweeps for the men who opened fire on a three-vehicle convoy of the company's schoolteachers and their families.
In dense fog yesterday morning, troops guarding the Freeport operation exchanged fire with an armed group in the vicinity of the shootings. One private was wounded in the thigh and an alleged rebel was reported killed.
Provincial commander Mahidin Simbolon blamed the murders on Free Papua Organisation (OPM) guerilla leader Kelly Kwalik, who was responsible for the 1996 kidnapping of a group of foreigners. But Papuan leaders called for an independent investigation to establish the assailants' identity,
expressing doubts that OPM guerillas were responsible.
The eight wounded, including six Americans, were flown to Townsville. A hospital spokesman said a critically injured man and woman had undergone surgery. The mine's townsite manager, Geoff Hocking, and his wife cut short a Melbourne holiday to rush to Townsville yesterday. Ann Hocking said the attack came as a great shock because there had been "no warning" of any trouble.
The violence risks increasing tensions as Jakarta struggles to satisfy demands from the independence movement with an offer of autonomous rule.
Papuans are already angry about the assassination of independence leader Theys Eluay in November. A dozen army special forces soldiers are about to go before a military court over his murder. Some Jakarta-based security analysts fear Saturday's attack could strengthen the military's hand if it seeks to launch an armed crackdown on the guerilla movement. Police have embarked on a 60-day operation aimed at putting the political wing of the independence movement out of business.
Military and police officers said the group of teachers was descending from the mining settlement of Tembagapura to attend a ball near Freeport. About 1.40pm, the first two vehicles were fired on. A third vehicle turned back to alert an army post about 1km away. Security forces claimed to have found cartridges from M16 rifles at the scene. There were unconfirmed reports cartridges were found from Steyr rifles, a type of weapon not known to be possessed by the ill-equipped OPM. (POSTER'S NOTE: AUSTRALIA SUPPLIES THE AUSSTEYR RIFLE AS PART OF A CONTINUING $7.1 MILLION ASSISTANCE PACKAGE TO THE INDONESIAN MILITARY. THE AUSSTEYR IS PROUDLY MANUFACTURED BY ADI - AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE INDUSTRIES IN BOWRAL, NSW)
A co-ordinator with the Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy in Papua, John Rumbiak, said he had met Mr Kwalik a week ago and won his support for a peace initiative. "I don't believe this was done by Kelly Kwalik and his group," Mr Rumbiak said. "His reaction the peace proposal) was very positive."
________________________________
Australia West Papua Association, Sydney
PO BOX 65
Millers Point
Australia 2000
Tele/fax 61.2. 99601698
Email:
ir-@matra.com.au
___________________________________
http://www.zulenet.com/awpa/
----------------------
2.
Killings "orchestrated by the Indonesian military" West Papua Action
Sep 01, 2002 09:51 PDT
September 1 2002
STATEMENT BY WEST PAPUA ACTION
Free Papua Movement (OPM) spokesperson John Otto Ondawame said today that the recent incident in which two foreign nationals and one Indonesian national were killed in West Papua was "orchestrated by the Indonesian military", and that the OPM were not responsible.
OPM Timika Area Commander Kelly Kwalik confirmed today "We were not at all involved in the attack on the 12 employees of Freeport". Mr Kwalik issued his Statement of Principles or Operation last week, point 8 of which said "Ordinary Indonesians or white people are not the enemy of the OPM".
John Rumbiak of human rights organisation Elsham issued an statement today in which he also said he did not believe that the action was by armed separtists. Mr. Rumbiak went on to call for an independent inquiry into
the incident, led by Americans.
At least 100,000 people have died in West Papua since it was taken over by Indonesia in 1963.
ENDS
For more information, tel. Mark Doris, Mobile *353 (0)87 2969 742 or office *353 1 882 7563
West Papua Action
134 Phibsborough Road
Dublin 7
Ireland
Tel. *353 (0)1 882 7563 / 882 7581
Fax. *353 (0)1 882 7576
Mobile *353 (0)87 2969742
Email. wpac-@iol.ie
http://westpapuaaction.buz.org
++++++++++++++++++++++++
for human rights in West Papua
including the right to self-determination
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
----------------
Witnesses on today's attack in Tembagapura Tapol
Sep 01, 2002 04:58 PDT
According to a report from <<img src="/img/maillink.gif" border="0"/> mans-@hotmail.com, who has also provided a list giving the names and details of the victims of this attack, two witnesses of the incident, Lynn Poston and Steven Emma, claim that there is strong evidence of the army's involvement in the incident. They say this is based on a statement made to Alisan Hartman, a deputy director of Freeport.
The two witnesses have been flown to Australia. The victims of the attack were travelling in two vehicles.
This report also states that another attack was launched later, in which a member of the security forces was killed. The source says that this attack may have been carried out in order to reinforce claims that the earlier attack was the work of a group based in the bush.
The source also states that a platoon of fully armed Kostrad troops has been mobilised. The troops are supplied with two trucks, a Landrover, and three tanks, bearing registrations numbers 3083-XVII, 3085-XVII dan 3088-XVII .
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 (0)20 8771 2904 fax +44 (0)20 8653 0322
tap-@gn.apc.org website: tapol.gn.apc.org
Freeport killings heighten fears of Indonesian crackdown
PLUS Killings "orchestrated by the Indonesian military"
PLUS Witnesses on today's attack in Tembagapura
1. From AWPA
The Australian 2 Sept. 02
Freeport killings heighten fears of Indonesian crackdown
By Don Greenlees, Jakarta correspondent and Amanda Hodge
THE weekend murder of three employees of a US mining company in Papua, including two Americans, risks seriously escalating tensions between Jakarta and the independence movement in the rebellious Indonesian province. Unidentified gunmen shot the three and wounded another eight people during an ambush on Saturday in a rugged mountain region of southwest Papua, near the giant copper and gold mine owned by US company Freeport McMoRan. The worst attack in the mine's troubled three-decade history came amid concerns among Papuan leaders that Jakarta is manoeuvring to crack down on the civilian and armed groups pressing for independence.
Reinforcements were sent into the area around the mountain-top Freeport mine after the attack to carry out sweeps for the men who opened fire on a three-vehicle convoy of the company's schoolteachers and their families.
In dense fog yesterday morning, troops guarding the Freeport operation exchanged fire with an armed group in the vicinity of the shootings. One private was wounded in the thigh and an alleged rebel was reported killed.
Provincial commander Mahidin Simbolon blamed the murders on Free Papua Organisation (OPM) guerilla leader Kelly Kwalik, who was responsible for the 1996 kidnapping of a group of foreigners. But Papuan leaders called for an independent investigation to establish the assailants' identity,
expressing doubts that OPM guerillas were responsible.
The eight wounded, including six Americans, were flown to Townsville. A hospital spokesman said a critically injured man and woman had undergone surgery. The mine's townsite manager, Geoff Hocking, and his wife cut short a Melbourne holiday to rush to Townsville yesterday. Ann Hocking said the attack came as a great shock because there had been "no warning" of any trouble.
The violence risks increasing tensions as Jakarta struggles to satisfy demands from the independence movement with an offer of autonomous rule.
Papuans are already angry about the assassination of independence leader Theys Eluay in November. A dozen army special forces soldiers are about to go before a military court over his murder. Some Jakarta-based security analysts fear Saturday's attack could strengthen the military's hand if it seeks to launch an armed crackdown on the guerilla movement. Police have embarked on a 60-day operation aimed at putting the political wing of the independence movement out of business.
Military and police officers said the group of teachers was descending from the mining settlement of Tembagapura to attend a ball near Freeport. About 1.40pm, the first two vehicles were fired on. A third vehicle turned back to alert an army post about 1km away. Security forces claimed to have found cartridges from M16 rifles at the scene. There were unconfirmed reports cartridges were found from Steyr rifles, a type of weapon not known to be possessed by the ill-equipped OPM. (POSTER'S NOTE: AUSTRALIA SUPPLIES THE AUSSTEYR RIFLE AS PART OF A CONTINUING $7.1 MILLION ASSISTANCE PACKAGE TO THE INDONESIAN MILITARY. THE AUSSTEYR IS PROUDLY MANUFACTURED BY ADI - AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE INDUSTRIES IN BOWRAL, NSW)
A co-ordinator with the Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy in Papua, John Rumbiak, said he had met Mr Kwalik a week ago and won his support for a peace initiative. "I don't believe this was done by Kelly Kwalik and his group," Mr Rumbiak said. "His reaction the peace proposal) was very positive."
________________________________
Australia West Papua Association, Sydney
PO BOX 65
Millers Point
Australia 2000
Tele/fax 61.2. 99601698
Email:
ir-@matra.com.au ___________________________________
http://www.zulenet.com/awpa/ ----------------------
2.
Killings "orchestrated by the Indonesian military" West Papua Action
Sep 01, 2002 09:51 PDT
September 1 2002
STATEMENT BY WEST PAPUA ACTION
Free Papua Movement (OPM) spokesperson John Otto Ondawame said today that the recent incident in which two foreign nationals and one Indonesian national were killed in West Papua was "orchestrated by the Indonesian military", and that the OPM were not responsible.
OPM Timika Area Commander Kelly Kwalik confirmed today "We were not at all involved in the attack on the 12 employees of Freeport". Mr Kwalik issued his Statement of Principles or Operation last week, point 8 of which said "Ordinary Indonesians or white people are not the enemy of the OPM".
John Rumbiak of human rights organisation Elsham issued an statement today in which he also said he did not believe that the action was by armed separtists. Mr. Rumbiak went on to call for an independent inquiry into
the incident, led by Americans.
At least 100,000 people have died in West Papua since it was taken over by Indonesia in 1963.
ENDS
For more information, tel. Mark Doris, Mobile *353 (0)87 2969 742 or office *353 1 882 7563
West Papua Action
134 Phibsborough Road
Dublin 7
Ireland
Tel. *353 (0)1 882 7563 / 882 7581
Fax. *353 (0)1 882 7576
Mobile *353 (0)87 2969742
Email.
wpac-@iol.ie http://westpapuaaction.buz.org ++++++++++++++++++++++++
for human rights in West Papua
including the right to self-determination
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
----------------
Witnesses on today's attack in Tembagapura Tapol
Sep 01, 2002 04:58 PDT
According to a report from <<img src="/img/maillink.gif" border="0"/> mans-@hotmail.com, who has also provided a list giving the names and details of the victims of this attack, two witnesses of the incident, Lynn Poston and Steven Emma, claim that there is strong evidence of the army's involvement in the incident. They say this is based on a statement made to Alisan Hartman, a deputy director of Freeport.
The two witnesses have been flown to Australia. The victims of the attack were travelling in two vehicles.
This report also states that another attack was launched later, in which a member of the security forces was killed. The source says that this attack may have been carried out in order to reinforce claims that the earlier attack was the work of a group based in the bush.
The source also states that a platoon of fully armed Kostrad troops has been mobilised. The troops are supplied with two trucks, a Landrover, and three tanks, bearing registrations numbers 3083-XVII, 3085-XVII dan 3088-XVII .
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8HW, UK.
tel +44 (0)20 8771 2904 fax +44 (0)20 8653 0322
tap-@gn.apc.org website: tapol.gn.apc.org
West Papua supporter
Homepage:
www.topica.com/lists/westpapua
