Days before the Biak massacre, there was a major shake-up of high-level military personnel at the TNI Regional Command Center VIII/Trikora in Jayapura. This Suara Pembaruan article features an interview with TNI Major General Amir Sembiring, who state: it is “true that the flag which they had raised two days ago on the water tower at Biak Numfor harbour was still in place. Below it there were still about one hundred and fifty people guarding the tower. On the other hand, the community had formed an opposing force of their own. According to the Commander, the Sub-Area Commander had been instructed to prevent conflict between one force of people and the opposing one. After all, these two forces are both our own people. Accordingly, the opposing force was told to be patient, to leave it to the security forces to deal with this small group and resolve the situation. Questioned by reporters as to how long the situation would be tolerated, the Commander said that they had been given until today (day time, Saturday 4/7). “They would responsibly lower the flag themselves or the security forces would lower it,” stated the Commander.
The full translated article is below and the Indonesian original is on-line: biak-6july.org/post-x
SUARA PEMBARUAN DAILY, 4 July 1998
Military Command, Trikora: Security Situation in Irian Jaya Under Control
Jayapura, 4 July
The Military Commander, Area VIII/Trikora, TNI Major General Amir Sembiring stated with regard to recent developments, that the security situation in Irian Jaya, at Sorong, Biak and Jayapura, as of today, Saturday (4/7), is well under control.
There are no crowds on the streets, shops are open again and road traffic is flowing normally. It is to be hoped that these conditions can be maintained from now on, so that the public are able to feel safe and remain calm, he added.
Commander Sembiring made this announcement in response to journalist’s questions following officer handover formalities at Military Area VIII/Trikora Command Headquarters, Polimak, Gunung Jayapura on Saturday 4/7. The officers present were Military Chief of Staff, Area VIII/Trikora, TNI Brig. Gen. A R Gaffar handing over to his replacement, TNI Brig. Gen. M. Idris Gassing, Intelligence Assistant, Infantry Col. Anuri handing over to his replacement, Infantry Col. M R Saragi, Area Military Finance Chief, Finance Corps Colonel H Awaluddin G,SIP [?] handing over to his replacement, Finance Corps Lt. Col. Richard E Pangaribuan and Infantry Col. Rachmad Saptaji Technical Staff Officer of the Office for Coordination and Monitoring of National Stability (Bakorstanasda) for the Maluku-Irian Jaya Region who is being transferred to Military Central Command TNI-AD.
The former Military Chief of Staff moves to the National Defence Institute (Lemhannas). The new Chief of Staff was previously Deputy Commander-General of Indonesia’s Special Forces Command (Kopassus). The former Intelligence Assistant takes up a lecturing position at the Army Staff College (Seskoad). The new Intelligence Assistant served previously with the Security and Encryption Service at Army Central Intelligence. The former Area Military Finance Chief becomes Director of Budgeting and Financing Services with the Army Finance Directorate and the new Area Military Finance Chief was previously Deputy Chief, Military Finance Area V, Brawijaya.
The Commander reported that since yesterday security forces in Sorong had taken repressive measures and succeeded in dispersing the crowd [of demonstrators], meaning that requests to disperse had been effective. “Today the 171 Area Commander reports that the situation is under control, shops have begun to re-open,” he said.
Time limit
Regarding the situation in Biak, stated the Commander, it was true that the flag which they had raised two days ago on the water tower at Biak Numfor harbour was still in place. Below it there were still about one hundred and fifty people guarding the tower. On the other hand, the community had formed an opposing force of their own.
According to the Commander, the Sub-Area Commander had been instructed to prevent conflict between one force of people and the opposing one. After all, these two forces are both our own people. Accordingly, the opposing force was told to be patient, to leave it to the security forces to deal with this small group and resolve the situation.
Questioned by reporters as to how long the situation would be tolerated, the Commander said that they had been given until today (day time, Saturday 4/7). “They would responsibly lower the flag themselves or the security forces would lower it,” stated the Commander.
Apology
The Commander said that he was concerned at the shooting of two people in an incident at Cenderawasih University (Uncen) campus on Friday (3/7), and apologised to the families. He called for prayers in the present tense situation that God would reveal the best path for all, especially the people of Irian Jaya.
He undertook to conduct enquiries, to investigate the course of events which led to the casualties. This would include an investigation into the consequences of the free speech forum, after which they came out (kemudian mereka keluar – sic).
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