World
Indonesian troops recover bodies of 6 workers missing after attack by Papua separatists
JAYAPURA: Indonesian safety forces mentioned Saturday they’ve recovered the our bodies of six conventional gold mining staff who had been lacking since a separatist assault at their camp within the restive Papua area virtually two weeks in the past. Gunmen stormed a gold panning camp within the Yahukimo district of Highland Papua province on October 16, killing seven staff and setting fireplace to 3 excavators and two vans, mentioned Faizal Ramadhani, a nationwide police member who heads the joint safety drive.
Hours later, a two-hour shootout passed off between members of the joint safety forces of police and navy and the rebels occupying the camp, Ramadhani mentioned.
The West Papua Liberation Military, the navy wing of the Free Papua Group, has claimed accountability for the assault.
Eleven staff who had hid within the jungle had been rescued safely after Indonesian safety forces cleared the camp. Nevertheless, they solely discovered one physique, and the six different victims had been declared lacking till their rotting our bodies had been recovered early Friday close to a river, just a few kilometres from the camp. Two of the stays had been charred and the 4 others had gunshot and stab wounds, Ramadhani mentioned.
It was the most recent in a collection of violent incidents in recent times in Papua, the place conflicts between indigenous Papuans and Indonesian safety forces are widespread.
Insurgent spokesman Sebby Sambon confirmed the group’s fighters carried out the assault. He mentioned the group had warned all staff to go away Indonesian authorities tasks in addition to conventional gold mining areas, or they might be thought of a part of the Indonesian safety forces.
“The West Papua Liberation Military is liable for the assault October 16 at Yahukimo’s gold panning camp,” Sambom mentioned in an announcement supplied to The Related Press on Saturday. “As a result of they had been outsiders and had been a part of Indonesian intelligence.”
Indonesia’s authorities, which for many years has had a coverage of sending Javanese and different Indonesians to settle in Papua, is attempting to spur financial growth to dampen the separatist motion.
Papua is a former Dutch colony within the western a part of New Guinea that’s ethnically and culturally distinct from a lot of Indonesia. Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and Indonesian safety forces are widespread.
Papua was integrated into Indonesia in 1969 after a UN-sponsored poll that was extensively seen as a sham. Since then, a low-level insurgency has simmered within the area, which was divided into 5 provinces final 12 months.
Assaults have spiked previously 12 months, with dozens of rebels, safety forces and civilians killed.
Knowledge collected by Amnesty Worldwide Indonesia confirmed a minimum of 179 civilians, 35 Indonesian troops and 9 police, together with 23 independence fighters, had been killed in clashes between rebels and safety forces between 2018 and 2022.
Hours later, a two-hour shootout passed off between members of the joint safety forces of police and navy and the rebels occupying the camp, Ramadhani mentioned.
The West Papua Liberation Military, the navy wing of the Free Papua Group, has claimed accountability for the assault.
Eleven staff who had hid within the jungle had been rescued safely after Indonesian safety forces cleared the camp. Nevertheless, they solely discovered one physique, and the six different victims had been declared lacking till their rotting our bodies had been recovered early Friday close to a river, just a few kilometres from the camp. Two of the stays had been charred and the 4 others had gunshot and stab wounds, Ramadhani mentioned.
It was the most recent in a collection of violent incidents in recent times in Papua, the place conflicts between indigenous Papuans and Indonesian safety forces are widespread.
Insurgent spokesman Sebby Sambon confirmed the group’s fighters carried out the assault. He mentioned the group had warned all staff to go away Indonesian authorities tasks in addition to conventional gold mining areas, or they might be thought of a part of the Indonesian safety forces.
“The West Papua Liberation Military is liable for the assault October 16 at Yahukimo’s gold panning camp,” Sambom mentioned in an announcement supplied to The Related Press on Saturday. “As a result of they had been outsiders and had been a part of Indonesian intelligence.”
Indonesia’s authorities, which for many years has had a coverage of sending Javanese and different Indonesians to settle in Papua, is attempting to spur financial growth to dampen the separatist motion.
Papua is a former Dutch colony within the western a part of New Guinea that’s ethnically and culturally distinct from a lot of Indonesia. Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and Indonesian safety forces are widespread.
Papua was integrated into Indonesia in 1969 after a UN-sponsored poll that was extensively seen as a sham. Since then, a low-level insurgency has simmered within the area, which was divided into 5 provinces final 12 months.
Assaults have spiked previously 12 months, with dozens of rebels, safety forces and civilians killed.
Knowledge collected by Amnesty Worldwide Indonesia confirmed a minimum of 179 civilians, 35 Indonesian troops and 9 police, together with 23 independence fighters, had been killed in clashes between rebels and safety forces between 2018 and 2022.
