Protests Against Rebel Killing Breaks in Jayapura
Friday, 18 December, 2009 | 14:50 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Protest to demand the handover of the body of the killed rebel leader in Papua broke in the seat of the province on Friday (18/12), after a first protest in Timika earlier in the day.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Independence and Human Rights Memorial Park Near Sentani Airport, where former chairman of the Free Papua Movement Theys Hiyo Eluay was buried.

The mob were running to the memorial site from the airport and some even attacked journalists covering the protest, and damaged a camera equipment of a photographer with the Jakarta-based daily, Suara Pembaruan.

The body of the purported rebel commander Kelly Kwalik reportedly is going to be flown back to Timika after being kept for autopsy at the police’s Bhayangkara Hospital in Jayapura for two about days.

Police said DNA tests on the body is yet to be completed. Families of the Mimika rebel commander Kelly Kwalik have not got access to find out whether the body was of Kelly although a local priest assisting Kelly’s family said police have opened access for them to check the body. Police according father Yohanes Yonga refused to provide more time than it had initially prepared for the family as the body is going to be flown on schedule to Timika.

CUNDING LEVI