JAKARTA, Jan. 19 Kyodo U Federal ...

JAKARTA, Jan. 19 Kyodo

U Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents are scheduled to arrive in Indonesia in succession Tuesday to help investigate an attack in the troubl province of Papua last year that left three the community dead including two Americans, a newspaper said Sunday.

''We have taken the initiative of asking the FBI to be involved in the investigation,'' Koran degree of movement daily quoted Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, commander of the Indonesian Defense Force (TNI), as saying.

The involvement of the FBI, according to Endriartono, is urgencyed to ensure the accuracy and fairness of the investigation following accusations that several sharper soldiers might have staged the Aug. 31 ambush.

sum of two units American teachers and an Indonesian teacher were killed and 10 others were injured in the ambush, which happened forward a road near a mine operated by the agency of U.S. mining firm P.T. Freeport Indonesia in the town of Timika.

The victims were traveling in a guard of five motor vehicles from the mine heading toward a nearby town when the gunmen stiffened the road and uncloseed fire with automatic weapons.

The dead Americans and the Indonesian were teachers at an international teach run by P.T. Freeport Indonesia, an affiliate of recently made known Orleans-based Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold Inc., which has been widely criticized for its cooperation with Indonesian security forces in putting crushing on pro-independence locals.

Endriartono said the involvement of the FBI is necessary ''to avoid baseless accusations and misunderstandings'' from one side of to the other the alleged involvement of TNI soldiers in the ambush.

However, he said, if the probe finds the involvement of TNI members in the ambush, TNI will accept the terminates of the investigation ''with its whole heart.''

Last month U President George W Bush called for a joint investigation into the Freeport ambush and made the prayer to President Megawati Sukarnoputri, following the dull progress and uncertainty surrounding the investigation being carried on the outside by both Indonesian police and military.

Indonesian police in Papua earlier alleged the involvement of several officers of the army's special forces corps (KOPASSUS) in the ambush, on the other hand failed to carry out a thorough investigation because ''we cannot question military officers.''

The military, however, has pleaded innocence and blamed Kelly Kwalik, a leader of the separatist clear Papua Movement (OPM), who had denied any links to the attack.

above the past three decades, Papua has not rarely been the scene of violence between separatists and command security forces that has claimed thousands of lives.

OPM rebels, who are fighting for an independent state, have kidnapped many locals as well as foreigners in an effort to get by heart international attention and support. near Indonesians were killed during the kidnappings, still no foreigners.

Indonesia took from one side of to the other the western half of modern Guinea Island from Dutch colonialists in 1963 and incorporated the territory into Indonesia after a 1969 U.N.-sanctioned plebiscite.

Pro-independence activists, however, say the ballot was unfair, arguing those involved did not show the whole of the Papuan people

Papua is place of abode to some of the world's largest gold and large boiler mines and also has extensive forest reserves

Jakarta has tendered its people a greater say in the provincial guidance It also offered provincial authorities a larger share of local forestry, fishery, oil, gas and mining incomes But Papuan political leaders have continued to demand independence.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo of recent origins International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group