JAYAPURA, KOMPAS – A joint team of police and military personnel has given the armed group in Mimika regency, Papua, time until Saturday (11/11/2017) to open access into Banti and Kimbely hamlets in Mimika’s Tembagapura district. This opened access will enable the evacuation of the 1,300 people that have been taken hostage in the past two weeks to Mimika’s capital Timika.
Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said in Tembagapura on Friday that the deadline that the police had given for the armed group was Saturday afternoon.
“Along with local community leaders, we are still trying to negotiate the evacuation of Banti and Kimbely residents. If the negotiation falls through, we will use other means necessary to rescue them,” Boy said.
He went on to say that the stock of basic everyday needs in the two hamlets was depleting. Locals were banned by the hostage-takers from going outside the hamlets to purchase basic needs.
“The road into Banti and Kimbely was barricaded by the armed group. We cannot go in as they were hiding in the hills and carrying around 30 firearms,” Boy said.
Mimika regional secretary Ausilius You said that the regency administration had sent food packages to Tembagapura. However, these packages had yet to be distributed to residents.
“The Mimika regency administration is still negotiating with the armed group to give the locals access to our basic needs. We have also prepared shelters at three locations for the Kimbely and Banti residents in Timika,” Ausilius said.
XVII/Cendrawasih Military Commander Gen. George Elnadus Supit said that the military command had prepared a strategy to set locals free if negotiation attempts fell through. “We will take firm actions if the evacuation process meets a dead-end. Currently, our personnel are ready in Tembagapura,” he said.
Dead residents
Martinus Beanal, an employee of PT Pangan Sari that provides catering service for gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia, was found dead on Thursday. Previously, Martinus was reported to have gone missing on his way from Tembagapura to Banti hamlet on Tuesday.
Boy said that, based on reports from locals, Martinus’ body was found in Utikini hamlet near the armed group’s headquarters. “The body was buried on Thursday,” he said.
Boy said that Martinus had planned to go back to his house in Banti hamlet and rescued his wife at 5 a.m. Eastern Indonesian Time on Thursday. “At around 8 a.m. local time, he was still communicating with his nephew. While on the phone, suddenly there were sounds of gunfire and the line was cut off,” Boy said.
He then urged locals not to travel to a number of hamlets, including Banti and Kimbely, that are still currently under the armed group’s control.
Amungme customary community institution chief Nerius Katagame said that he had received report of Martinus’ death on the hills of Banti on Thursday. “He was possibly killed on his way from his office in Tembagapura to his house in Banti to rescue his wife,” Nerius said.
In Jakarta, the National Police said that the police faced obstacles in dealing with the armed group that held 1,300 residents hostage in Banti and Kimbely hamlets, Tembagapura district, Mimika, Papua. The leaders of the armed group refuse to communicate and negotiate with the law enforcers.
There are 1,000 residents and 300 “comers” in the two villages. National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto said that the armed group’s leaders banned everyone, except women, from traveling outside the hamlets.
Setyo said that, based on communication with those who are allowed to leave, the 1,300 hostages were in good condition and were not physical harmed by the armed group.
Thus far, daily needs are supplied by the women allowed to leave the hamlets. However, the armed group refuse to hold any dialogue with the military-police joint team and the regional government.
“The military-police joint team has tried to contact the armed group’s leader but they gave no room for negotiation,” Setyo said at the National Police headquarters in Jakarta on Friday.
Furthermore, Setyo said that the armed group obtained its weapons in two ways, namely through illegal arms trade at the international border and homemade weapons from Papua.
(FLO/SAN)
