Pacific

Indonesian police offer reward over OPM capture

21:46 pm on 23 March 2009

Police in the Indonesian province of Papua have offered a reward of US$900 for the capture of any members of the Free Papua Movement or OPM, responsible for what they say is an outbreak of violence in Puncak Jaya regency.

A Papua Police spokesman in Jayapura said they were purposely involving the public as it would be too difficult to find OPM members otherwise.

He told the Jakarta Post newspaper that the Papua Police headquarters had listed the names of 10 members of the OPM, headed by Goliat Tabuni, who they believed had caused trouble in Puncak Jaya regency over the past three months.

The spokesman said the legislative election would still be held on April 9, despite the four violent incidents in Puncak Jaya this year.