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leader of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) in Aimas district, Sorong regency, West Papua, who is strongly believed be an instigator of a riot during the commemoration of the so-called Indonesia annexation day in Papua on May 1, eventually surrendered to the Sorong Police after being on the run for a week.

'€œPak Isak Kalaibin, accompanied by a number of local community and church figures, has surrendered to the Sorong Police. He was received by Papua Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw and Sorong Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. E. Zulpan,'€ said Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya in Jayapura on Friday.

The surrender, according to Gede, is accredited to the role of the local administration, church leaders and community figures, who talked some sense into Isak. Waterpauw, said Gede, advised societal elements in Sorong, which still had a vision to gain independence in Sorong, to bury their dreams and join the Indonesian government to improve people'€™s welfare in Papua.

Isak claimed he was the leader of the OPM in Sorong with the rank of colonel, awarded to him by Richard Hans Joweni, commander-in-chief of the OPM from Sarmi in Papua to Sorong in West Papua.

The Aimas incident on May 1 took place when security personnel foiled the planned Morning Star flag-raising ceremony and declaration of Papua independence gained since May 1, 1965, and the commemoration of Indonesia annexation day in Papua.

The group does not acknowledge May 1, 1965, as Papua Integration into Indonesia Day, but as Indonesia annexation day in Papua. Three people were killed and some others were injured when joint personnel from the Sorong Police and local Indonesian Military (TNI) command were quelling the riot. Earlier, according to Gede, the projectile extricated from one of the victim'€™s bodies was from an organic firearm owned either by the National Police or TNI.

With Isak'€™s surrender, the number of suspects in the Aimas incident has reached seven, after six people were named suspects earlier. They are charged with violating articles 106, 107 and 110 on subversion and could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Separately, Manokwari Legal Aid Institute director Yan Warimussy said the suspects were being represented by five legal attorneys '€” Emilianus Jimmy Ell, Theresje Julianty Gasperz, Semuel Harus Yensenem, Damus Usmany and Frida Y. Kelasin.

Yan, recipient of the John Humphrey Freedom Award in 2005, urged the government to form a Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM) to probe the Aimas incident.

'€œThe KPP HAM is aimed at revealing the truth. Residents believe that the three people were shot and killed by the authorities,'€ said Yan.

He expressed regret over the police'€™s stance of directly naming the suspects as perpetrators of the Aimas riot, saying there were more persuasive ways to resolve the issue, adding that the local administration, authorities and residents could sit together and settle the issue.

Violence continues to plague Papua following four decades of sporadic fighting between the TNI and Papua'€™s rebels.

The long controversy over Papua'€™s integration into Indonesia in 1969 is behind the political situation in Papua as many people reported that the vote was not conducted in a fair and democratic manner. The tension has increased as Papuans living in exile have set up an OPM office in Oxford, UK, recently as part of their 44-year campaign to separate the former Dutch colony from Indonesia.

It has led to protests against the UK as Oxford'€™s mayor and a member of the UK parliament reportedly attended the opening ceremony.

Another issue is the uneven development in Papua. The government granted Papua special autonomy in 2001 and set up the special autonomy fund to improve the welfare of Papuans, but the scheme has failed to bring prosperity to Papua because the fund was allegedly misused by the local elite.