Kelly Kwalik

Kelly Kwalik (1955 – December 16, 2009) was a senior separatist leader and military commander with the Free Papua Movement (OPM), a separatist organization based in Indonesia's Papua Province.[1]

Papua conflict

Main article: Papua conflict

Kwalik, a known separatist, had been on Indonesia's most wanted list for years.[2] Indonesian police had accused Kwalik of being responsible for a series of shooting incidents and attacks targeting the United States mining company, Freeport-McMoRan, which operates large copper and gold mines on Papua Province.[2] In 2009 meeting with police, Kwalik repeatedly denied responsibility for the attacks.[1]

Mapenduma hostage crisis

Kwalik's name gained international attention when on January 8, 1996, he and his militia held 26 members of Lorentz Expedition 95, consisting of both Indonesian and international citizen, which resulted in hostage crisis that lasted 5 months and the deaths of two of the hostages in Operation Mapenduma Hostage Liberation by Indonesian military special forces, Kopassus, led by commander Prabowo Subianto. This string of events also led to the Timika shooting incident in 1996 that killed 16 people on Timika Airport.[3]

Death

On December 16, 2009, Kwalik was shot in a police raid on one of his hideouts in the Gorong-Gorong neighborhood of Timika.[1] Police claimed that Kwalik was armed when he was shot while trying to flee.[1] Kwalik died at a hospital in Timika.[1]

Kwalik's funeral was held at local Papua government's Regional Representative Council building in Timika.[4] Kwalik's family and supporters had requested that they be permitted to fly the Morning Star flag at the funeral. However, the request was denied by Indonesian and local Papuan police, as the flag, which symbolizes the Free Papua Movement, is banned in Papua Province and the entire Republic of Indonesia.[4]

Kwalik's Catholic funeral Mass was officiated by Bishop John Philip Saklil of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Timika.[4] He was buried in Timika.[4]

In January 2010, the Free Papua Movement (OPM) appointed Jeck Kemong as the new Supreme Commander of its military wing, the West Papuan National Liberation Army (TNP) and regional commander of Nemang Kawi following Kwalik's death.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "OPM leader Kwalik dies after shooting incident". Radio New Zealand International. 2009-12-16. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  2. 1 2 Vaswani, Karishma (2009-12-16). "Indonesia police 'kill' Papua separatist Kelly Kwalik". BBC News. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  3. ↑ "ICRC role during the Irian Jaya hostage crisis (January-May 1996)". International Committee of the Red Cross. 1999-08-27. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Police Ban Morning Star Flag At Funeral Of Papuan Separatist Leader". Jakarta Globe. 2009-12-21. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  5. ↑ "Free Papua Movement appoints new military commander". Radio New Zealand International. 2010-01-19. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
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