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| Southeast Asia |
| Indon general to be replaced amid allegations of murder... |
| 2003-02-05 |
| Chief of the Papua Regional Military Command, Major General Mahidin Simbolon, will be replaced amid allegations that his troops murdered two American schoolteachers, an Indonesian schoolteacher and pro-independence leader Theys Eluay. The Army on Tuesday announced that Simbolon will be replaced by his deputy Brigadier General Nurdin Zaenal and reassigned to military headquarters in Jakarta. Hopefully, he won't kill anyone while he's there... Army spokesman Brigadier General Ratyono said the move is part of a âroutineâ military reshuffle involving 27 generals. But the Associated Press quoted a senior military official as saying Simbolon was being replaced because of the "ongoing problems in Papua". Simbolon, regarded as one of the Armyâs most experienced officers in But he maintained a polite level of deniability... Seven members of the Armyâs elite Special Forces (Kopassus) are currently being tried by a military tribunal, charged with the murder of flamboyant pro-independence leader Theys Eluay, who had advocated secession through peaceful means. Theys died of asphyxiation in Papua on November 10, 2001, while being driven home after attending a celebration at the local Kopassus base. Reports say he was strangled by Kopassus members. They strangled him while driving him home from the dinner... Despite allegations that senior generals masterminded the killing because of a dispute over logging profits, it appears that only junior officers will face punishment. That's usually the case, isn't it? I think the word I'm looking for is "sordid." If you see it, send it on over... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #2 That's the Indonesian army, rotating the 27 generals. I think Australia's the guarantor of Papua-New Guinea. Indonesia's Papua province wants to join them, except for the few thousand ethnic Indonesians who're the ones who were allowed to vote in the "plebiscite." |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-02-05 21:40:08 |
| #1 Papua-New Guinea has an army big enough to require 27 generals? Having that big an army seems imprudent. I suppose they figure they need protection against Indonesia, but the main targets for armies in places like that are civilian governments. |
| Posted by: Michael Lonie 2003-02-05 21:10:41 |