Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia
ABCMelanesia
 |
| Five shops were set ablaze by armed separatist group in West Papua (photo courtesy of Papua Police) |
The Jakarta Post reported that at 2 a.m. on Sunday (5/11) armed assailants set fire to five kiosks owned by West Papuan loacals.
“Five kiosks owned by local people in Kampung Utikini were set ablaze by an armed group at 2 a.m. on Sunday,” Mimika Police chief Adj. Sr. Cmr. Victor D Mackbon told journalists on Sunday.
No casualties were reported in this latest incident. The Jakarta Post reported that
 |
| Five shops were set ablaze only about 100 meters from a Police dormitory in West Papua (photo courtesy of Papua Police) |
The arsons occurred just some 100 meters from the Tembagapura Police dormitory. The owners had left the scene on Oct. 24 following shots fired at an ambulance carrying a patient, a doctor and nurses from Utikini to Tembagapura Hospital, Victor said.
A firefight erupted between the offending group and the Police.
Papua Police spokesman AM Kamal reported that armed group of people opened fire on vehicles travelling the road between Mile 69 and Ridge Camp leading to the US mining giant Freeport, hitting a windshield and a door.
This latest attack comes after a kidnapping and raping of a West Papuan woman on 30 October 2017.
Two weeks ago, armed West Papua separatist group killed a police sergeant in Sangket, Papua.
Sources reveal that Benny Wenda, the leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) was behind the unprovoked and barbarous attacks.
 |
| Sources reveal that Benny Wenda and the ULMWP command armed separatist group in West Papua |
The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas and the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare are the patrons of the ULMWP and have been sponsoring the group's campaigns.
Over the years, the ULMWP together with armed separatist group in West Papua have waged a brutal campaign against West Papuan civilians, government and security officers.
 |
| The Purom Okinam Wenda Group (top left). The remains of Police officer Rolfi Takubessy (above right), police station burnt by the Group (above left) and the remains of West Papuan police officer (top right) |
The ULMWP is led by Benny Wenda, a fugitive wanted in connection to the murder of West Papuans Petrus Epaa and Markus Padama in Papua in December 2000.
The ULMWP, which claims as the rightful government of West Papua, routinely direct its armed wing in West Papua including the West Papua National Liberation Army (WPNLA) and the Purom Okinam Wenda Group to kill and terrorize the residents of West Papua. This is a strategy to stoke fear and coerce support from the West Papuan people.
 |
| A West Papuan separatist group during a force and weapons parade |
West Papua and Papua are two easternmost provinces of Indonesia that enjoy robust and functioning democracies that routinely elect West Papuan into top government and legislative posts.
Some selected acts of murders widely attributed to the ULMWP (or its affiliated groups) and its armed group includes:
- 6 civilians and police officers killed in Wasior, June 2001;
- 3 police officers killed in Lanny Jaya, November 2012;
- 1 health worker killed in Puncak Jaya, July 2013;
- 2 police officers killed in Lanny Jaya, July 2014;
- 1 priest killed in Namuniweja Village, November 2015;
- 4 road workers killed in Sinak & Mulia, March 2016;
- 2 teacher and road worker killed in Puncak Jaya, August-September 2016
In December 1996, the Papuan separatist group abducted 26 person in Mapenduma. Fifteen were released, but 11 researchers from the multi-national Lorentz 95 Expedition were held captive. The hostages, four Britons, five Indonesians and two Dutch were held hostage for four months from 8 January to 15 May 1996.
 |
| The Mapenduma hostages, Papua, 1996 |
Among the hostages was Martha Klein, who was three months pregnant when she was captured.
In a daring and surprising raid, Indonesian special forces freed the hostage. Two Indonesians were killed during the operation: Matheis Lasembu, an ornithologist and Navy Panekenan, a biologist. Five Army officers were killed when their helicopted crashed in jungle of Geselama, Papua.
The two hostages bled to death after being struck with machetes by Kelly Kwalik, the leader of the hostage-takers and a close confidant of Benny Wenda.
Kelly Kwalik, died in 2009 in a gunfight with security authorities.
 |
| Benny Wenda (left) and Kelly Kwalik (right) |
ABCMelanesia
No comments:
Post a Comment