Police blame group for election attacks

The Jakarta Post
April 25, 2009

by Dicky Christanto

Recent bomb attacks linked to the legislative elections in
troubled Papua province may have been orchestrated by a single
group, police said Friday.

They said a forensic laboratory report showed that explosive
materials used in both bombings were the same.

“The report shows that the bombs used TNT as its main
ingredient,” National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Abubakar
Nataprawira told journalists in Jakarta.

He said TNT was used in bombs planted beneath the Pani bridge in
Jayapura and was found in an explosive at the Sumber Makmur
store in Abepura, among other sites.

“This confirmed our initial suspicion that the string of attacks
were orchestrated by one group,” Abubakar said.

However, he refused to elaborate further, saying the details and
identity of the group were still being investigated.

A series of attacks rocked Papua just the night before the
legislative elections on April 9. Not only did the attackers use
bombs in the attacks, but also guns and traditional weapons.

Abubakar said a thorough investigation process was currently
underway.

At least five men, including three motorcycle taxi drivers, were
killed and several others severely injured in the attacks.

Coordinating Minister of Poli-tical, Legal and Security Affairs
Widodo Adisucipto had earlier suggested the attacks were carried
out by a separatist group and aimed at disrupting the
legislative elections.

However, no faction of the fractured Papua Free Organanization
(OPM) claimed responsibility for the incidents.

Papua Police chief Insp. Gen FX Bagus Ekodanto supported this
suspicion, saying the attacks were likely launched by that same
group which had for decades waged a campaign for the
independence of Papua.

“Months before the attacks we found banners and pamphlets
belonging to the Free Papua Organization. The separatist banners
called on OPM supporters to cancel or disrupt the legislation
elections at every cost, he added.

“We therefore suspected that this *attacks* is what they were
talking about,”he told The Jakarta Post.

Dozens of people were arrested and questioned following the
attacks, with eight being detained in Papua for intensive
interrogations as suspects.