Jakarta – Police in the remote Indonesian province of Irian Jaya Tuesday arrested an alleged separatist leader, the Antara news agency said. The police in Jayapura, the main town of Irian Jaya, arrested Theys H. Eluay at his home in the Sentani area around 6am Antara said.

Irian Jaya Police Chief Brigadier General Hotman Siagian told Antara Eluay, a former local parliamentarian who now heads the Irian Jaya Institute for Traditional Deliberations, was under police questioning. The arrest warrant said Eluay was suspected of unspecified crimes against the security of the state.

Antara said Eluay had said a few days before his arrest he intended to surrender to the authorities but would only do so after hosting a feast at his home on Wednesday "How come I as a leader continue to live happily while my underlings have to stay in police custody," Eluay was quoted by Antara as having said. He was refering to five men who have been arrested last week for separatist activities.

Police arrested a man identified as Sem Yaru on September 28 for calling on people to join a mass pro-independence rally in Jayapura planned for October 2. Yaru's name had been on leaflets calling for a peaceful rally in favour of setting up an independent Western Papua state at the Mandala open sports stadium in Jayapura.

On September 30, police also arrested Don Flassy, secretary of the Irian Jaya provincial development planning board, a priest named Ansanay, Lauren Mahuwe, a member of the Jayapura district administration staff, and a fourth man identified only as Barnabas Yufuwai. Local police officers have said the four were suspected of planning to hold a meeting of the Independent Western Papua Committee.