Despite Shooting, TNI Not to Increase Amount of Soldiers
Monday, 11 December, 2006 | 15:53 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Indonesian Military (TNI ) will not add the soldiers in Papua although there was shooting at two TNI Army members at Puncak Jaya Regency, Papua, Friday (8/12).

The shooting, which was suspected to have been carried out by the Free Papua Movement (OPM), was considered not to have changed the security situation in the area.

“The security situation there is actually conducive,” Rear Marshall Mohammad Soenarto told Tempo yesterday (10/12).

However, Soenarto said he deplored the incident because it happened when TNI did not use a military approach anymore.

“Now, our approach is through welfare,” he said.

In addition, during the shooting, the two victims were carrying out welfare approach to OPM bases.

“But we are still investigating the exact cause of the weapon contact.”

Moreover, said Soenarto, the OPM is in fact not very strong anymore.

There is already an internal gap between the side that wants peace and the one that still wants to struggle.

Dua anggota TNI Angkatan Darat yang tewas akibat kontak senjata itu sudah dimakamkan kemarin. "Sersan Satu Joko Susanto dimakamkan di Lampung, sedangkan Sersan Kepala Tobias di Nabire, Papua," ujar Soenarto.

Two TNI Army members who died because of weapon contact were buried yesterday. “ First Sergeant Joko Susanto was buried in Lampung and Chief Sergeant Tobias in Nabire, Papua,” said Soenarto.

To prevent the clashes from spreading, clergyman Lipius Biniluk, Head of rge Indonesian Gospel Church (GIDI) Papua, asked he people to be calmer after the incident in Kimibaga Mount, Mulia District, Puncak Jaya Regency.

He also asked the TNI not to interfere in solving this incident and hand over the investigation to the police.

“Don’t set Papuan people as another object of murder. If there is suspicion, try to solve it properly. Don’t use weapons,” he said.

According to him, the incident is some people’s action to disturb Christmas celebration and regent election in 2007.

“This is a high-level scenario of a group of people, not purely from the group that is always referred to as the OPM.”

Raden Rachmadi