Journalists questioned on murder of Theys
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.