Journalists questioned on murder of Theys
R.K Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
At least three journalists covering events in Irian Jaya have been questioned by government investigators as witnesses in connection with last year's murder of top Papuan separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay.
Eva Rukdiati, who works for the Jayapura bureau of Antara, was the latest to face questioning by the Military Police team on Monday.
The other two journalists -- Odio Data of the Papua Post Online and Agapitus of the Papua Post daily -- failed to answer the summonses for questioning by the same team.
Odio did not show up for questioning as she was undergoing medical treatment in the Irian Jaya capital of Jayapura, while Agapitus was traveling to the remote town of Merauke.
However, both Odio and Agapitus had previously been questioned, along with Eva, by the Jayapura Police in relation to their attendance at a military function organized by the Army's Kopassus special forces to celebrate National Heroes Day on Nov. 10, 2001.
Hours after the gathering in Jayapura, Theys was abducted with his driver, and was found dead in his car in an area bordering Papua New Guinea one day later.
Military Police investigators asked Eva at least 21 questions on Monday during the 3.5-hour probe.
The questions included her knowledge of the news on the abduction of Theys.
At least 60 people, including the three journalists and 12 Kopassus troops, have been questioned by the authorities in relation to the murder of Theys, who was the leader of the separatist Papua Presidium Council (PDP).
On Saturday, the Military Police team inspected the Kopassus camp as part of their investigation into Theys' mysterious death.
The 25-member fact-finding team looked through the troops' barracks and other parts of the camp located on Jl. Hamadi in Jayapura, and at the hall where the celebration was held.
Investigators said the inspection was aimed at cross-checking and verifying the testimony given by witnesses with the facts in the field.
The Military Police team was set up by the Indonesian Military (TNI) to investigate the case after the police revealed indications of the military's involvement in the incident.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has established a separate team to investigate the same case. It is led by retired military officer Koesparmono Irsan, a serving member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).
However, it has met opposition from Papua-based non- governmental organizations and local religious leaders. Karl Lukas Degey, a Papuan representative on the team, has quit.
Separately on Monday, a defense team of lawyers for Papuan rebel leaders Thaha Al Hamid, Rev. Herman Awom and Don Al Flassy demanded that their clients be acquitted of all subversion charges.
In their defense plea read out by team coordinator Abdurachman, the lawyers told the Jayapura district court that charges by prosecutors against the defendants were baseless as the allegations had not been corroborated.
Prosecutors had demanded that the court sentence each of the three defendants to 30 months in jail for treason as they were involved in campaigning for independence in Irian Jaya.
But their lawyers said such charges had not been proven in court.
"Under the law, treason means an attempt to attack or the act of attacking others, such as killing them or removing their freedom," Abdurachman said.
He argued that the defendants had never attacked others in their campaign for independence in Irian Jaya.