Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia
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| A West Papuan separatist group during a force and weapons parade |
As reported by the Associated Press and the Seattle Times, the group, locally led by Sabinur Walker attacked the police sergeant who was on routine patrol in a hilly region of Sangket, Papua.
The attacks went on for three days near a U.S.-owned gold and copper mine in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua. The armed separatist group killed one officer and wounded six others.
Joe Hatch, an American national working for Freeport was reported to have suffered a gunshot wound.
Papua police spokesman A. Mustofa Kamal said that on Monday, 23 October 2017, the armed group shot and wounded four police officers.
The Associated Press reported that the assailants shot officers just moments after putting the body of officer Berry Pratama in the ambulance.
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| Papua Police Chief Boy Rafli Amar |
Sources reveal that the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) was behind the vicious attacks.
Over the years, the ULMWP together with armed separatist group in West Papua have waged a brutal campaign against West Papuan civilians, government and security officers.
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| The Purom Okinam Wenda Group (top left). The remains of Police officer Rolfi Takubessy (above right), police station burnt by the Group (above left) and the remains of West Papuan police officer (top right) |
The ULMWP is led by Benny Wenda, a fugitive wanted in connection to the murder of West Papuans Petrus Epaa and Markus Padama in Papua in December 2000.
The ULMWP, which claims as the rightful government of West Papua, routinely direct its armed wing in West Papua including the West Papua National Liberation Army (WPNLA) and the Purom Okinam Wenda Group to kill and terrorize the residents of West Papua. This is a strategy to stoke fear and coerce support from the West Papuan people.
West Papua and Papua are two easternmost provinces of Indonesia that enjoy robust and functioning democracies that routinely elect West Papuan into top government and legislative posts.
Some selected acts of murders widely attributed to the ULMWP (or its affiliated groups) and its armed group includes:
- 6 civilians and police officers killed in Wasior, June 2001;
- 3 police officers killed in Lanny Jaya, November 2012;
- 1 health worker killed in Puncak Jaya, July 2013;
- 2 police officers killed in Lanny Jaya, July 2014;
- 1 priest killed in Namuniweja Village, November 2015;
- 4 road workers killed in Sinak & Mulia, March 2016;
- 2 teacher and road worker killed in Puncak Jaya, August-September 2016
In December 1996, the Papuan separatist group abducted 26 person in Mapenduma. Fifteen were released, but 11 researchers from the multi-national Lorentz 95 Expedition were held captive. The hostages, four Britons, five Indonesians and two Dutch were held hostage for four months from 8 January to 15 May 1996.
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| The Mapenduma hostages, Papua, 1996 |
The ICRC reported:
Among the hostages was Martha Klein, who was three months pregnant when she was captured.
In a daring and surprising raid, Indonesian special forces freed the hostage. Two Indonesians were killed during the operation: Matheis Lasembu, an ornithologist and Navy Panekenan, a biologist. Five Army officers were killed when their helicopted crashed in jungle of Geselama, Papua.
The two hostages bled to death after being struck with machetes by Kelly Kwalik, the leader of the hostage-takers and a close confidant of Benny Wenda.
Kelly Kwalik, died in 2009 in a gunfight with security authorities.
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| Benny Wenda (left) and Kelly Kwalik (right) |
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