Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – The Indonesian Military has denied reports it was involved in a deadly raid on a village on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Free Papua Organization, or OPM, a separatist group established on Dec. 1, 1963.
"There was no attack. Military personnel were just making preparations to anticipate [anniversary events], no one was out for any operation," Col. Lismer Lumban Siantar, a spokesman for the military command in Papua's Puncak Jaya district, told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday.
PapuaPost.com had reported that a police raid on a suspected paramilitary-style group was assisted by a military infantry unit based in Sentani, near the provincial capital of Jayapura.
Markus Haluk, a Papuan human rights activist and member of the Papua Customary Council, also told the Globe that several military personnel were involved in the attack on a house in Yongsu village, about 25 kilometers west of Jayapura, on Saturday morning.
The issue is significant because the military's large troop presence and heavy-handed approach in Papua has been one factor fueling anti-Jakarta sentiment among indigenous Papuans.
Lismer said the military was committed to prioritizing a humane approach rather than employing excessive force toward any party, including separatists. "As commanded, military personnel are not allowed to attack, let alone plan an attack. We choose persuasive means, unless we are being attacked first and are cornered, then we are allowed to defend ourselves," he said.
Markus said the target of Saturday's raid was still unclear. Villagers said that a man shot during the raid was the village secretary, identified as Eduard Bunyan. "However, the officers claimed the victim shot was an OPM member, Colonel Amos Sorontauw. We still need to verify the information," Markus said.
Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw, Papua's deputy police chief, said that police had received reports that Adranus Apaseray, said to be an OPM leader, had been fatally wounded in the shootout. "But his body has not been discovered," Metro TV quoted Paulus as saying.
Markus said following the attack, most of the village's 200-odd residents fled, hampering investigations. "The villagers have evacuated and some houses were reportedly burned after the incident," he said.
Markus said villagers who wanted to return home were not allowed to enter their own village, and the victim's family were denied access to their relative's body by military personnel. "The victim's body has been taken to the police hospital [in Jayapura], but the family is still not allowed to see him," he said.
Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Pujo Hartono said his officers undertook a raid on the village based on initial suspicions it was being used as a separatist military training ground. "I don't think they are OPM members. They call themselves the Cyclops King Group and they have always talked about human rights," he said.
The area is overlooked by the Cyclops Mountains. Sulistyo said the raid happened after the police received a report from villagers uncomfortable about the presence of the group in their village and the military training in the area.
"The information we received from the villagers is that this group started operating four months ago, and we have received this intel many times, that's why we decided to raid them," he said.
Sulistyo said persons in a house in the village fought back, firing at police, with gunfire lasting for about 10 minutes before a group of men fled the scene. He admitted a person died during the firefight but declined to confirm the victim's identity. "We are still coordinating with religious leaders and local villagers to confirm his identity," he said.
Police said they confiscated some firearms, bladed weapons and a separatist flag, although some media reports claimed six homemade bombs were also seized during the raid.
Sulistyo denied reports that the attack had scared villagers and caused them to flee the village. Paulus told the state-run Antara news agency that officers were "still at the site" and that the identity of the slain individual remained unknown. A policeman was shot in the arm during the incident and was in a stable condition, Paulus added.
Earlier this week, a soldier, First Sgt. Wandi Ahmad, was shot and severely injured in the Illu traditional market in Puncak Jaya district. Lismer said that Wandi was shot in the face by an unidentified assailant who fled into the nearby forest. Wandi remains hospitalized in critical condition.
On Friday, the National Police said that they had temporarily boosted their forces in Papua by 100 officers to anticipate the OPM's anniversary, but said that there was no urgent threat.
Gen. Sutarman, the National Police chief, told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday that he would pay special attention to restive Papua. "We should solve violence in Papua with a humane approach," he said.
Despite these soft words, he said police would have zero tolerance for displays of the Morning Star flag – a symbol of Papuan separatism – and calls for a self-determination plebiscite.