Fighters’ threat
pp. 15-74 · Read in the full issue
Papuan Freedom Fighters’ threat of terrorism
Irianese nationalists who oppose the Indonesian administration in Irian Jaya are threatening “Arab style terrorism” in the Pacific to gain recognition for their cause.
The threat is contained in a letter released in Port Moresby in April by Irianese exiles living there.
Written by Mr Nicholas Jouwe, who styles himself Premier of the Provincial Revolutionary Govern ment of West Papua, the letter says the campaign will be directed against those countries which sup port the Indonesian presence in Irian Jaya. These include the US, Australia, New Zealand, and other nations of the South Pacific.
An Irianese source in Port Mores by said that under no circumstances would the terrorism be directed against Papua New Guineans, “our Melanesian brothers”. But he went on to name Mr Tom Critchley, Australian High Commissioner in PNG, as a possible target for ter rorist action.
The new direction in Irianese rebel policy follows the ousting last year of the rebel president General Seth Rumkorem. It is seen as a vic tory for young radical elements in the movement.
It also follows flat rejection by the US State Department of rebel pro posals that the US should apply military and economic sanctions against Indonesia as a measure of support for their cause.
An influential section of the Irianese community in Port Mores by in early May announced its op position to threats to use terrorist methods.
Eleven men, including some who were once prominent in Irianese na tionalist politics, dissociated them selves from the threats.
They pledged their support to the Papua New Guinea Government and other Pacific countries in op posing what they called “unfound ed, impractical, irresponsible and potentially hazardous proposals of terrorism”. • Mr Jouwe was quoted in press reports early in May as denying that
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Continued from page 15 his letter called for terrorist acts. He was quoted as saying from his home in Holland: “1 never mentioned adopting Palestinian tactics in my letter, or any other acts of terrorism.
We have to use diplomacy and all the legal means available to us”. But reporters for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, who have seen the let ter, defended their earlier reports that it did call for terrorist actions.
Irianese sources in Port Moresby have suggested that Mr Jouwe’s denial had been made in a bid to “remove some heat” from Irianese refugees in Papua New Guinea, some of whom are now PNG citizens.