'Kopassus members may have had a role in Theys murder'

'Kopassus members may have had a role in Theys murder'

Yogita Tahil Ramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Certain members of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) may have
played a role in the murder of Papuan pro-independence leader
Theys Hiyo Eluay, the Irian Jaya Police chief said on Tuesday.

"There are indications that some Kopassus members had a hand
in the murder," Insp. Gen. I. Made Mangku Pastika told reporters
at the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta.

He said police had questioned over 100 witnesses and "their
testimonies point toward the involvement of several Kopassus
members."

"But we cannot declare them suspects now, since there is not
enough evidence as yet... my detectives are still looking for
more supporting evidence against the Kopassus members."

Made, who was at the headquarters attending the installation
ceremony of new North Maluku Police Chief Brig. Gen. Sunarko,
added that detectives from the National Police Headquarters were
also "lending a hand" in the murder investigation.

He also offered 24-hour police protection for anyone willing
to present solid evidence of Kopassus members' involvement in the
killing.

Made's statement came as many Papuans (Irian Jaya people) have
run out of patience with the slow pace of the investigation into
the murder of Theys, who is believed to have been killed for
political reasons.

After questioning at least seven Kopassus members over the
killing, police had earlier said they had come to "a dead-end" in
their inquiries. Made's statement on Tuesday therefore came as a
sign of clear headway in the investigations.

Theys was found dead in his car on Nov. 11 last year, a day
after he was abducted by an unidentified group on his way home to
Sentani, around 40 kilometers outside of the provincial capital
of Jayapura, after attending a Heroes Day celebration hosted by
the local Kopassus unit near Jayapura. Autopsy reports showed
that he died from suffocation.

Theys' driver, Aristoteles Masoka, who escaped and reported
the abduction, has since disappeared.

"Whether police will finally get hold of this Aristoteles or
not for questioning, it does not mean that the case will be
unsolvable. We have witnesses and other evidentiary material
which supports our case," Made told reporters.

Papua Governor Yacobus Jaap Salossa said earlier this month
that "all the data points to the involvement of Kopassus" in
They's murder but there was no conclusive evidence.

The Irian Jaya Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Mahidin
Simbolon stressed on Tuesday that there were no orders from
either him or the Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief to carry out
the murder of Theys.

Mahidin said that if Irian Jaya Police had evidence that
members of the TNI were involved in the murder, police needed to
hand over the dossiers of the investigation to the Military
Police and let them take over, since it involves soldiers.

A low-level armed struggle for independence began after the
Dutch ceded control of the territory to Indonesia in 1963.

The province formerly known as Irian Jaya was renamed Papua
this month under an autonomy law designed to ease demand for
independence among Papuans.

Window: Chief of Irian Jaya Kopassus Unit (Tribuana VIII Task Force)
Lt. Col. Hartomo has once said that his troop felt slandered by
rumors that Kopassus was behind They's death. He said there was
no reason for Kopassus and the military to kidnap or killed Theys
and promised to help police investigate Theys' death.