Cause of Theys' death still a mystery

Cause of Theys' death still a mystery

R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

The death of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP) chairman Theys
Hiyo Eluay remained a mystery as a team of doctors who examined
his body, claimed on Monday that they believed that Theys might
not have been murdered.

Dr. Kelemen Mayakori, the head of the Jayapura General
Hospital revealed the results of the post-mortem examination,
which apparently showed that the 63-year-old Theys had choked to
death. He ruled out strangulation as the cause of the death,
because there were no bruises on his neck.

Kelemen, who led the autopsy on Theys, said the team of
doctors had found injuries around his mouth and nose, certain
bodily secretions consistent with suffocation victims, but found
no injuries to his internal organs. "He did not die of a gunshot
wound," he added

"We carried out a thorough examination. What we found was the
usual condition of a person who hangs himself to death
(suffocation). But we found no (external) signs indicating that
he had hanged himself," he told The Jakarta Post, without
elaborating.

Dr. Kelemen added, however that something had blocked Theys'
breathing passages, resulting in fatal oxygen debt.

Theys was found dead in his car on Sunday at Muara Tami, a
district west of Jayapura. He had been reported kidnapped by a
group of people on his way home to Sentani, after attending a
dinner an Army base in Hamadi, Jayapura. The dinner was held in
observance of National Heroes Day.

Police had earlier speculated that Theys had been strangled.

In Jakarta, National Police Spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf
further speculated that Theys had been murdered by his own men.

"Theys was relatively moderate in the struggle for a Free
Papua, using diplomacy and non-violence. Maybe the Free Papuan
hardliners murdered him," Saleh theorized

Saleh claimed that the death of Theys was purely a normal
crime, and not necessarily politically motivated.

Also in Jakarta, a deputy of the Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs, Maj. Gen.(ret) Ilyas Yusuf called
on everybody on Monday not to hurriedly conclude anything about
Theys' death.

"Any theory or speculation is possible, but everybody must
refrain from rushing to conclusions or assumptions," Ilyas said.

"The murderers must be irresponsible people. But, we do not
know who they are, therefore we cannot assume anything before the
police get appropriate evidence," he said.

Meanwhile, a member of the pro-independence Papuan Presidium
Council (PDP), Andy D. Manoby, along with the chairman of the
Jakarta-based Communication Forum for Papuan Youth, John Poly
Menanti, accused the Indonesian military of assassinating
Theys.

The two activists asserted that Theys was killed by well-
trained amber (non-Papuan people).

"The location where Pak Theys' body was found -- Koya village
-- is close to a military post in which nobody is allowed to pass
without prior inspection by officers on guard.

"Since Pak Theys, could pass the post, it means that the
assassin might have been familiar with the military," Manoby told
a press conference held at the Legal Aid Institute's (LBH) office
in Jakarta on Monday.

According to Manoby, the military authorities in Papua have
been conducting night patrols in the region since September and
those would last until December, aimed at anticipating a possible
independence rally there on Dec. 1.

In Jayapura, the chief of the Kopassus Army elite troop Task
Force (Tribuana VIII Tas Force) based in Jayapura, Lt. Col.
Hartomo told reporters on Monday that his troop felt slandered by
rumors that Kopassus was behind Theys' death.

"Theys was presented at the dinner as a Papuan leader,"
Hartomo said, referring to Saturday's dinner at the Tribuana
camp.

"Minutes after Theys' wife was informed by his driver that a
group of people kidnapped Theys, she called the Tribuana post
asking for help. Tribuana members and Theys' family reportedly
had a good relationship. There was no reason for us and the
military to kidnap or kill Theys," Hartomo said.

Hartomo and Trikora Military Command spokesman Lt. Col. R.
Siregar said that the military condemned the murder.

"Kopassus would help police investigate Theys' death," said
Hartomo.