"We have not seen any indication of foreign involvement in their arms supply yet," he said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Army Chief of Staff General Pramono Edhie Wibowo said he had not seen any indication yet of foreign infiltration in the recent violent incidents in Papua.

"No, not yet. I have not seen such indications yet," he said when accompanying Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro during a visit to Gatot Subroto Army Hospital here on Thursday to see three army members being treated there for injuries suffered during an attack by alleged separatist OPM (Free Papua Organization) rebels in Papua.

He said he had neither seen any indication of a foreign role in the separatist group`s access to fire arms. "We have not seen any indication of foreign involvement in their arms supply yet," he said.

He said the guns used by the attackers were standard weapons such as AK-47s and M-16s and self-made guns.

Regarding the origin of the weapons, Pramono said that some of them were from army posts they had attacked. "This is our strong assumption," he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of House Commission I Tubagus Hassanuddin said that for Indonesia the Papua issue had finished. "The Unitary State of Indonesia is already final. So no foreign element or anyone may undermine Indonesia`s sovereignty. The House of Representatives (DPR) has also never interfered in the national affairs of other countries," he said.

During the visit Purnomo was also flanked by members of House Commission I and received explanations from hospital chief Brigadier General Dedy Achdiat about the wounded soldiers` latest condition.

One of the soldiers said that Puncak Jaya was still vulnerable to OPM attacks. "Sometimes their number only three to five but the number of their shots is bigger coming from various directions," first private Herber said.

He said he was on a patrol with 11 others when three OPM members suddenly attacked them including him, leaving five soldiers wounded.

"They still attacked even after we had retreated," he said.

Asked about their guns, the member of Infantry Battalion 753/BS said they generally used AK-47s and M-16s.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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