Condemnation abounds for Theys's 'murder'

Condemnation abounds for Theys's 'murder'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekartnoputri's political party on Tuesday
condemned the (suspected) murder of Irian Jaya independence
leader Theys Hiyo Eluai and urged that the security authorities
uncover the mystery surrounding his death.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) also
appealed to Papuans not to resort to violence over his mysterious
death, saying that the (suspected) murder was a setback for the
implementation of wide-ranging autonomy in the country's
easternmost province of Irian Jaya, known as West Papua to its
indigenous people.

"We condemn the incident as it goes against the party's
principle of nonviolence, and urge the security forces to solve
the case as soon as possible," the party's deputy chairman Roy
B.B. Janis said after a meeting between Papuan representatives
and Megawati at the party's headquarters in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The team of doctors which examined Theys's body at the
Jayapura General Hospital said that Theys may not have been
murdered.

Separately on Tuesday, Director of the Indonesian Legal Aid
and Human Rights Association (PBHI) Hendardi said the government
must be responsible for solving the Theys case, especially given
the many accusations that he was murdered by troops.

"We all know that political interest is the strongest motive
for Theys's murder. As the military is still involved in politics
on an ongoing basis, it is reasonable to assume the military
murdered Theys in order to win their political goals," Hendardi
told The Jakarta Post.

The TNI had earlier denied being behind Theys's death.

Theys was found dead on Sunday in his car on the Sentani-
Jayapura road. He had been reported kidnapped by unidentified men
on his way home after attending a military function on Saturday
evening. His driver Ari Masoka is still missing.

People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais also
backed mounting calls for a thorough probe into Theys's death,
saying an inquiry could help curb tension between Jakarta and the
Papuans.

"Don't let this case remain a mystery because it will
negatively affect the trust of the Papuan people in the Jakarta
government," he said after receiving Philippines President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday.

Asmara Nababan, secretary-general of the National Commission
on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), said his commission would prefer to
leave the investigation to the government.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute
Foundation (YLBHI) Bambang Widjojanto said in Yogyakarta on
Tuesday that Theys's death was a setback for the dialog process
in resolving the problems besetting the restive province of Irian
Jaya.

Bambang, who spent his career as the head of the LBH's Irian
Jaya chapter before becoming chairman of the foundation, said
Theys's death would only create new conflict in the province.