Jayapura. A shootout took place in the Tanah Hitam mountain early on Tuesday morning after the banned Morning Star flag was hoisted, a day before Indonesia marked Independence Day.
Two of the flags, a symbol of the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM), were raised at about 5:30 a.m., according to witnesses. A shootout ensued after a joint team of police and military officers arrived to take it down.
Witnesses reported of hearing 'dozens' of gunshots coming from the Tanah Hitam mountain area during the shootout. The separatists suspected of raising the flags were seen running to the mountain's forest.
Papua police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wachyono said the joint forces were currently sweeping the mountain to find the perpetrators and prevent more the activity from being repeated.
The National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo told reporters at the House of Representatives that the authorities had acted according to procedure.
The separatist group has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on soldiers in the Puncak Jaya district earlier this month.
“We are responsible for the series of shootings against TNI [Indonesian Armed Forces] soldiers and their outposts and their helicopters on [Aug. 2]. Those actions reflect our stance of not recognizing Papua as part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,” said Anton Tabuni, the self-proclaimed OPM secretary general for the Central Mountainous Range in Papua, on Aug. 5.
He said his group would continue to reject approaches from the government and efforts to persuade them to join the Indonesian republic. He said the organization had already decided to continue the fight for Papuan independence.
On Tuesday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reinforced the importance of protecting the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia amid increasing security issues in volatile Papua.
“Regarding security disturbances in Papua, the government will be strict in guaranteeing public order and the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia,” Yudhoyono said during his state of the nation speech at the House of Representatives.