(AFP) – 3 days ago
JAKARTA (AFP) — Indonesia's military is not responsible for a recent spate of deadly ambushes near a massive US-owned mine in the troubled eastern province of Papua, according to the defence minister.
But Jowono Sudarsono did not rule out the possibility that "rogue elements" of the police or military were behind the shootings on the weekend which killed an Australian mine worker and two Indonesians including a policeman.
"I don't believe that the security forces are responsible for these recent events," he told reporters.
"There may be rogue elements, there may be deserters from each of the services including the police and the military.
"But at the moment there is no verifiable proof that active military or active police are involved in the shooting."
He said his guess was that the attacks were related to feuds between rival groups over control of lucrative illegal mining activity using the tailings from the massive Freeport gold and copper mine north of Timika.
Ammunition used in the attacks on Saturday and Sunday was standard military-issue but the minister said it could have come from "captured rifles."
Indonesia's military chief said Tuesday the perpetrators were probably Papuan separatist rebels but police in the remote, resource-rich region have said there is no evidence pointing to the rebels' involvement.
"Let's wait for the results of the investigation," Sudarsono said.
"There may be people who are involved in illegal activity who find the lucrativeness of the gold panning ... too good to be ignored."
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