Govt forms team to probe Theys' murder
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite being rejected by local informal leaders, the government has formed a joint team of police and the military to investigate the murder of Irianese proindependence activist Theys Hiyo Eluay.
Coordinating Minister of Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday that the team had been formed in response to widespread speculation that the military had been involved in the killing.
"The government is committed to investigating the murder," Susilo said after holding a consultation meeting with officials of the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA).
Susilo said that the team had been established earlier this week.
On Monday, Irianese Christian and Muslim leaders wrote a letter to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), asking for an independent investigation into Theys' death.
They said they would not accept any investigation involving elements of the military or the police because they doubted their objectivity.
Theys' body was found on Nov. 11, 2001 near the Irian Jaya provincial capital, Jayapura. Theys, the Papua Presidium Council chief, was well-known for his nonviolent approach to achieve his goals.
His latest controversial stance was his rejection of special autonomy status for Irian Jaya, which will be effective as of January next year.
He was kidnapped by unidentified men after he attended a National Heroes Day ceremony on Nov. 10 at the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) headquarters in Jayapura.
Even though the Kopassus commander Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaini has denied allegations that his troops were involved, many people speculated that the murder was part of the military's clandestine operations there.
Susilo refused to say what he and DPA chief Achmad Tirtosudiro discussed in the closed-door meeting.
The meeting was somewhat unusual because DPA provides advice to the President, and not other institutions.
Komnas HAM has also announced its plan to conduct its own investigation into the murder of Theys, which has been widely seen as a test case for the Megawati administration to improve its human rights record in restive Irian Jaya.
Susilo said that the joint police-military investigation team would be open to input from any party wishing to help it, including nongovernmental organizations.
From Jayapura, Antara reported on Wednesday that former Irianese political detainees had also pushed their demand for an independent investigation into Theys' death.
The Forum for Reconciliation of Irian Political Detainees urged the provincial Legislative Council and the Papua Presidium Council to hold an extraordinary congress to discuss the affair.
The forum's spokesman Saul J. Bomay said that the locals had lost trust in the police and military because their investigation had got nowhere.
The police had no idea as to the whereabouts of Theys's driver Aristoteles Masoka, 21, who was also abducted, he said.