25 Oct 2011

Separatist group denies responsibility for Papua police chief killing

3:54 pm on 25 October 2011

The Free Papua Movement has denied responsibility for yesterday's fatal shooting death of a provincial police chief in Indonesia.

The reports say two men lunged at Dominggus Awes and pinned him down before shooting him in the head.

The incident reportedly happened in front of a plane at the airport in Puncak Jaya.

The Jakarta Post reports the separatist group's coordinator Lambertus Pekkir as saying police would have to arrest the perpetrators and question them before making accusations.

The Free Papua Organisation says even if they claimed to be OPM members, the organisation would not assume responsibility for their actions.

The spokesman says he would trust the Indonesian police in handling the case.

Indonesia's chief security minister Djoko Suyanto has instructed law enforcing agencies in Papua to take stern actions against perpetrators of violence and attacks on the government.