Bagus BT Saragih and Nethy Darma Somba, Jakarta/Jayapura – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered the country's security forces to refrain from conducting excessive security operations in Papua following shootings that left eight soldiers and four civilians dead in the restive region.
"I have instructed the military and the police to respect the rule of law as well as human rights. Any excessive acts will not be sanctioned," Yudhoyono told a Cabinet meeting on the Papua shootings at the State Palace on Friday.
The President claimed that his administration has been focusing on using an economic and welfare approach to address security issues in Papua. "Nevertheless, we need to carry out quick and certain measures when it comes to any disturbance of Indonesia's sovereignty.
Indonesia's territorial unity must be protected and law enforcement must be carried out without exception. We cannot ignore such an incident like the ones yesterday [Thursday] where eight soldiers were killed," he said.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto said security measures must be carried out carefully and prudently because, "Papua-related issues are very sensitive, domestically and internationally. Foreign NGOs and media are always concerned."
Eight soldiers were killed in two separate attacks in Papua's Puncak regency and neighboring Puncak Jaya regency on Thursday. The area is known as a stronghold of separatists who have battled for independence for years.
The first attack was carried out by a group of unidentified gunmen who attacked a post in guard Tingginambut, Puncak Jaya, leaving one soldier dead and another injured. Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Adm. Agus Suhartono revealed on Friday that the slain soldier in Tingginambut, First Pvt. Wahyu Prabowo, was a member of the Army's elite Special Forces Command (Kopassus).
Agus, however, denied that Kopassus' presence meant the elite force had been carrying out special operations in the region. "The slain Kopassus member had been stationed there for quite a long time," he said.
About an hour after the Tingginambut incident, another group of armed assailants ambushed a group of 10 Army soldiers who were on their way to the Sinak airstrip in Sinak, Puncak. Seven of the 10 soldiers and four civilians were killed. The civilians, identified as Johanis Palimbung, Markus Renden, Rudi Lallo and Uli, were construction workers. They were on their way to the local airstrip with the military personnel, Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumertha Jaya said on Friday. He added that four other civilians were injured.
On Friday morning, a TNI Super Puma helicopter took small arms fire while attempting to evacuate the slain soldiers to the provincial capital of Jayapura, Agus said. Three of the helicopter's crew members were wounded, forcing them to turn back and rush the injured to a hospital.
"The chopper was shot from a honai [Papuan traditional home]. It aborted its mission and returned to Puncak Jaya. We then decided to carry out the evacuation operation on foot," Agus said, adding that the chopper had been able to continue flying despite the shooting.
He said the TNI had deployed reinforcements from the Cendrawasih Military Command (Kodam) to areas surrounding Puncak Jaya.
Puncak Legislative Council member Paulus Sumino believes that the shootings were related to last week's regency election, the first election since the regency separated from Puncak Jaya that in 2008. "The shooting was intended to disrupt the final phase of the local election process," he said.
However, Agus said he believed rebel groups might have carried out the attacks in response to the TNI's decision to establish a district military command (Kodim) in Puncak Jaya and several other military posts in the area.