Church Leaders Denounce Violence in Timika

Timika (Antara) - The Catholic churches of the Timika Diocese, Papua, strongly denounce recent spate of violence in the district lately. Pastor Amandus Rahadat Pr of the parish of Tiga Raja in Timika described as "very shameful" the murder of two people in Sempan coinciding with the Good Friday commemoration. Father Amandus said the conflict greatly saddening especially as it involved people belonging to the same Kei tribe which was the first to bring Catholic faith to Mimika and Papua in general. "The behavior of the Kei people in Sempan is very much shameful," Pastor Amandus said. Pastor Amandus expressed deep concern that the Kei people in Timika are getting more brutal. A number of Kei people have been involved violence such as the attack on people of the Kamoro tribe in Nawaripi, the conflict among prospectors in Kali Kabur (Aijkwa river) leaving six people dead and most recently the conflict among Kei people claiming two lives last week. "I am deeply concerned. The forefathers of the Kei people must be crying in their graves. The forefather of Kei people preached Gospel in this land and they were peace loving. Now the Key people are inciting war , violence bringing death to this land," he said. He said the Kei people in Mimika should feel ashamed of their own behaviors terrorizing other people. Similar condemnation came from Pastor Willem Warat Bungan OFM of the Parish of Santo Stefanus Sempan. Pastor Willem said many Catholics in Timika are still living in the dark as shown by the spate of violence they created and murders they had committed. "We are creating new Golgotha in Sempan. Element of Kei tribe have smeared the faces , good name and services of the pioneers opening up the Mimika-Agimuga territory, the pastor said. (*)