Police tests result confirm Papuan rebel leader's death
Markus Makur , The Jakarta Post , Timika, Papua | Thu, 12/17/2009 11:15 AM | National
Papua Police Chief Insp. Gen. Bekto Suprapto announced Thursday that the results of a series of test have confirmed that the body of a man shot to death during a raid early Wednesday in Timika, Papua, belongs to Kelly Kwalik, a leader of the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM).
Bekto told a press conference here that a team from the National Police Headquarters, which includes DNA experts, has verified the identity.
He said that the police have records of Kelly's crimes, which includes abduction and shooting terrors and attacks.
The Papuan rebel leader was cornered in the Gorong-Gorong complex, one of his hideouts in the town of Timika , Mimika regency.
Kelly was shot in the right thigh by Mobile Brigade police as he was attempting to escape a house in the complex during the dawn raid. He reportedly died from blood loss after being taken to the Kuala Kencana clinic for treatment. At least five people were arrested in the raid.
Police said they had planned to arrest the rebel leader.
Earlier this year Papua Police held a meeting with Kelly in connection with the series of attacks on US-based gold miner PT Freeport Indonesia in Timika.
During the talk, Kelly claimed he was not responsible for the attacks, which killed three people and injured dozens of others since the first ambush on July 11.
