Jeck Kemong said new separatist leader in Indonesia's Papua

BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific
January 20, 2010

Text of report by Vanuatu newspaper Daily Post website on 20 January

[Unattributed article: 'Gen. Kemong succeeds late Kwalik' - This item,  published in the Vanuatu Daily Post, appears to be a translation of an 18 January 2010 press release from the West Papua National Coalition
for Liberation (WPNCL).]

"One Kelly Kwalik was killed but hundreds and thousands of Kelly Kwaliks have emerged and grown strong like mushrooms in the rainy season".

The significance of these words will become reality, with [thousands of] young and revolutionary freedom fighters ready to sacrifice themselves for the just cause of their motherland, West Papua.

The killing itself has left a deep wound and sorrow, but on the other hand it has motivated more young Papuans and fellow freedom fighters to carry out those heavy revolutionary duties and obligations that the
[former National Liberation Army of the Free Papua Movement (TPN-OPM) commander] Kelly Kwalik left behind.

On 25 December [2009], a military changeover occurred at the Headquarters of the KODAM III [Military Area Command III]/Nemangkawi of the central highlands of West Papua.

In an extraordinary meeting, General Jeck Milian Kermong was elected to be the new Commander of KODAM III/Nemangkawi, succeeding Kwalik.

The leadership of OPM and WPNCL have accepted this democratic decision and given approval.

We welcome the new commander and will cooperate with him, [they said].

"We invite all military [units] within Kodam III/Nemangkawi and units within every KODAM TPN [TPN-OPM military area] to accept and give full support to this democratic decision.

"The acknowledgement of the succession has officially been made and,  for this reason, all forms of illegal claims [to the position of TPN-OPM commander] must stop because such claims will not bring progress
to the struggle", said OPM leader and WPNCL Deputy Chairman, Dr Otto Ondawame.

General Jeck Milian Kemong was close to Kwalik. He joined the national liberation struggle in 1977, was born in Tsinga Village, and was [the son of] landowners in the Freeport mining area, but grew up and went
to primary school in Amungun, Akimuga District with the late Kelly Kwalik in the 1960s.

He was at the former Catholic seminary in Abepura from 1968 to 1971. He was a [loyal] soldier to Kwalik. In 1977, he took part in the attack that destroyed Freeport's pipeline resulting in the loss of millions of US dollars.

"We call upon all freedom fighters in the immediate region and the nation as a whole to accept this democratic decision and work together in fighting against our common enemy -the occupation forces.

"We announce to the general public that the killing of the Papuan Great Leader [Kwalik] will never undermine peaceful dialogue that has already been in progress. His successor, General Kemong will continue the peace initiative until a lasting peace is achieved in West Papua."

Source: Vanuatu Daily Post website, Port Vila in English 20 Jan 10