TAPOL press release
Danger
of violent instability in West Papua increases as rights abusers
take on key roles
4 December
2003 - The appointment of Indonesia's former East Timor police
chief, Timbul Silaen, as the new police chief of West Papua and the
involvement of notorious East Timor militia leader, Eurico Guterres, in
a
new West Papua militia group renew fears of increased instability and
violence in the territory and are a triumph for impunity over justice,
says
TAPOL the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign.
Silaen's
appointment was announced on 1 December. At a press conference
the following day, outgoing police chief, Budi Utomo, revealed that
Guterres had written to him requesting official permission to set up a
militia group known as FPMP (Front Pembela Merah Putih - Red and White
Defenders Front) in the mining town of Timika.
According
to reports, Utomo has not yet decided whether to give permission
for the group and is awaiting the outcome of an investigation into its
background and objectives. The fear is that even if Utomo does not issue
a
permit, Silaen, who was associated with Guterres in East Timor, will do
so.
There are indications that Guterres has already recruited around 200 men
for the group.
This is
an extremely dangerous development for West Papua. Recent violent
incidents there and the threat of a military crackdown suggest that the
Indonesian military is involved in a systematic attempt to destabilise
the
territory and create conflict. As with East Timor, it is likely that
militia groups, such as that proposed by Guterres, will play a deadly
role
in this destabilisation strategy.