In the hours after their lawyer successfully argued for a no – case submission against charges brought against members of OPM armed rebel forces or insurgents, the 12 accused were back in the jungle. PNG government authorities in a sweep operation in November last year also impounded 14 high – powered weapons.
George Korei, of Wagambie Lawyers, told the Vanimo District Court that his clients did not break any law.
Mr Korei argued that the state failed to prove that the 14 accused breached the Migration Act and the Fire Arms Act. The 12 accused OPM insurgents were detained since November 2015/
He filed a no – case submission.
According to a reliable source in Vanimo who wished to remain anonymous, the 14 high – powered weapons were returned by PNG government authorities.
The Indonesian Consulate is understood to have made representation to PNG government authorities in the province to be handet d the 12 accused to be further dealt.
Mr Korei told the Vanimo District Court:
‘The yarn spun by the government is swiftly unraveling. Not only were OPM insurgents party to a global armed conflict, and gun battles took place on the Indonesian side of the border where the OPM military wing has been fighting the Indonesian military, PNG foreign policy on West Papua has shifted”.
He said to hand over the 12 accused to Indonesian authorities is to contradict the government line that a human rights approach and not the ‘security approach’ is long overdue, and PNG was bound by resolutions of MSG and PIF look at the West Papua issue differently. The OPM rebels admitted to carrying the 14 high – powered weapons which were part of the arsenal of the armed wing of OPM since the armed conflict began in the 1960s.
It is further understood that NCD Governor and a strong advocate for West Papua issue Powes Parkop was following the case very closely.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi visited West Papua during the Christmas festive season and .is believed to have consulted with Papuan independence and civil society leaders and discussed steps to approach the separatist movements in Indonesia’s troubled provinces of West Papua, and also Aceh, differently.
