As the government drags its feet amid peace talks with Papua residents, two more shootings took place in the country’s troubled, easternmost region.
The first occurred on Wednesday on Tembagapura-Timika Road, Mile 51, in Timika at 12:24 p.m. local time, injuring two workers of mining company PT Freeport Indonesia.
Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wachyono said that the incident involved unidentified gunmen shooting at a patrol car and a truck carrying workers and five members of Mobile Police Brigade (Brimob) who were on patrol duty.
“The container truck was shot on its right side, while the patrol car was shot on its left,” he said.
Wachyono added that the authorities had secured the safety of the victims and vehicles at Mile 57, with Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel and police officers conducting searches in the direction of the assailants.
On Saturday, Brimob officers and an armed civilian group exchanged gunfire in a traditional mine area located between Nagaye and Bayabiru villages in Paniai, Papua, at 7:30 a.m..
Mathias Tinoye, 31, who was suspected of being a member of the group that had allegedly planned to attack a police station, was shot and then fell into the Degewo River.
Police have declared him missing and are still searching for the body.
Wachyono said before the shooting that members of a traditional mining group in mining areas had received a letter from Salomon Yogi demanding Rp 60 million (US$6,700) to carry out mine management. “There have been no added troops sent to Paniai. Currently there is only one platoon of Brimob troops there.”
Paniai tribe council head John Gobay said the troops in Paniai would create trauma among residents and could trigger violence against the people. He demanded that the authorities investigate the case due to the circulation of many rumors.
“We hope our friends from nongovernmental organizations will open monitoring centers for human rights violations in Paniai. We also need a fact-finding team, because there are so many rumors we need to clarify,” he said.
Violence has been escalating in Papua since the third Papuan People’s Congress was held during Oct. 16-19 in Abepura, Jayapura. The police and TNI forcefully dispersed the event, seizing both organizers and participants of the congress.
At least three fatal incidents claimed seven lives. Additional Brimob officers have been dispatched to the region. Efforts to establish peace talks have begun but have yet to yield any resolution.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has assigned his special envoy, Farid Huseini, to meet with the leaders of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and its political wing.
Farid said he had been visiting leaders in Papua’s far-flung regions since last year, and that the people’s response had been positive. “They want the government to solve humanitarian issues as well as problems in economic, political and social sectors.”