Court asked to free 'Theys four' of charges

R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

A legislator has called on Jayapura District Court to free the Papua Presidium Council's functionaries from subversion charges, as what they have fought for has been accommodated in the newly endorsed law on special autonomy for Papua.

"I call on the panel of justices to drop the subversion charges and free the four suspects because they, along with the Papuan people, have been accommodated by the special autonomy law," John Ibo, chairman of the Irian Jaya provincial legislative council said in his testimony to the court here on Monday.

Theys Hiu Eluay, PDP chairman, Thaha Al-Hamid, PDP secretary- general, Don A. Flassy, chairman of the Independent Youth Organization, and Rev. Hermon Awom were charged with subversion for organizing the 2000 proindependence congress of Papuan people in Jayapura where they demanded a self-determination referendum, a change of the province's name and the right to display the province's flag and symbol. They were also accused of inciting local people to use violence in their struggle.

Former president Abdurrahman Wahid, who contributed Rp 1 billion to the congress failed to testify for the four suspects, while Muridan S. Widjojo, a sociologist from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), was barred from giving expert testimony to the court as he was not a law expert.

"The presence of Muridan as an expert witness in the court is not acceptable because he is not a law expert," Sigid, a prosecutor, said in the court session.

Ibo added that the real suspects were not the four but all the Papuan people because what they had been fighting for was the people's political aspirations, which had been adopted by the central government.

"To be consistent with the government's decision to endorse the bill on special autonomy, this case should be dropped and the four should be freed of charges," he said.

The panel of judges chaired by Sinaga declined to take Ibo's testimony into consideration and adjourned the court session to Nov. 11, 2001.

Muridan expressed deep disappointment with the court's rejection of him, saying he was an expert and familiar with the Papuan people, as he had conducted much research in the province.

"I came here at the invitation of Theys' lawyers to testify before the court," he said, adding he was confused by the court's rejection because he had done the same thing at the South Jakarta district court in a similar case and there had been no problem.

Muridan said the court's rejection actually reflected the government's unfair treatment of the Papuan people.

"The court's rejection will generate hatred among the Papuan people against the government," he said.