"The world would again closely watch the situation in Papua, and therefore the national police chief must seriously pay attention to the violence in Papua," Alhabsyi said here Monday.
Police must improve their performance in maintaining security and in carrying out law enforcement in Papua because there have been many shooting incidents in the country`s eastern most province lately, he added.
In 2011, there were at least 13 shooting incidents that killed, among others, seven employees of US gold and copper mining company PT Freeport Indonesia, and five other civilians were injured. Also, two members of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and one police officer was wounded.
"In 2010, an armed group shot a PT Freeport`s five-car convoy, injuring seven people, including an American citizen. In 2009, I recorded 17 shooting incidents that killed five civilians, one police officer, and four Freeport employees," he said.
The lawmaker added that in 2010, 28 people were the victims of gunshot wounds. This included 20 employees, two military officers and four police members.
The latest airplane shooting was the third shooting incident this year, as two people, Nasyun Naboth and Thomas Bagiarsa, were killed earlier.
The shooting incidents in Papua have become part of a series of incidents and TNI must be involved in dealing with the violence that has threatened the nation�s security and sovereignty, he said.
"We all know that there is a major home group there, particularly concerning OPM (separatist group)," he said.
Four passengers were wounded and one died when a Twin Otter airplane, flight code PK-YRF, was shot at as it was landing at Mulia airport, Puncak Jaya District, Papua Province, Sunday.
Its pilot, Bebi Astekyang, was hit in the leg, while Latoge Kogoya, a reporter of Papua Pos of Nabire, was hit in the neck and died.
Co-pilot Willy was also hit by a bullet fragment in one of his fingers and was unable to control the flight, causing the plane to crash into a building at the airport.
A woman was also hit in the hand. The shootings by the armed group left holes in the airplane.
(T.S037/F001/INE/R-BSR/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
