Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Six OPM members remain in Indonesian police custody

Posted at 23:11 on 05 September, 2012 UTC

Indonesian police say they have detained six separatist rebels over an attack which left four dead in the restive province of Papua.

The rebel Free Papua Movement, OPM, which has been fighting for independence for decades, confirmed that those named belonged to the group, including the commander who led the attack Daniel Kogoya.

Police rounded up 25 people in the provincial capital Jayapura over the weekend after investigators found sufficient evidence of their alleged involvement in the incident on the 1st of August last year.

National police spokesman, Boy Rafli Amar, told AFP that six of the 25 investigated have been positively named suspects and detained.

Papua police allege those detained blocked a road, opened fire on passing vehicles and then attacked passengers with machetes, killing an army officer and three others and injuring seven.

The police announcement came a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Indonesia to pursue dialogue and ensure autonomy for the restive region.