NGOs, church leaders want teams on Theys disbanded

R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

Two government teams investigating the mysterious death of Papuan independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay should be disbanded, non- governmental organizations and church groups demanded on Monday.

On Feb. 5, President Megawati Soekarnoputri approved a team that included an army general, a National Police chief detective, government officials and four Papuan figures.

The 11-member National Investigation Commission (KPN) is led by Koesparmono Irsan, a retired police general and current member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

The Indonesian Military (TNI) is also investigating. Its team is led by Military Police chief Maj. Gen. Djasri Marin, who is also a member of the KPN.

At least three Papuan-based non-government organizations -- the Institute of Human Rights Study and Advocacy (Ell-Sham), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) -- have opposed the two teams and demanded the government disband them.

Opposition also came from leaders of several churches in the troubled Papua province, known also as Irian Jaya.

They called for an independent team comprising credible individuals, forensic experts, legal and human rights activists and United Nations' officials.

They doubted the trustworthiness of the government teams, including the four Papuan figures.

"Apart from a lack of credibility, the establishment of the teams are not legal," Ell-Sham Executive Director Johanes Bonay, a spokesman for the protesting NGOs and church leaders, told a press conference.

He said the establishment of the teams breached Law No. 39/1999 on human rights, under which only Komnas Ham had the authority to investigate human rights cases, including Theys' murder.

"It is therefore very clear that both teams have no right to conduct an investigation," Bonay added.

LBH Director of Papua branch Demianus Wakman said the teams were part of a government move to ensure that the murder of Theys was classed as a "common crime", not one against humanity.

"It has been clearly seen in Presidential Decree No. 10/2002 on KPN that the death of Theys Hiyo Eluay was a common crime," he said.

Viston Sinaga of Kontras said the suspected murder involved systematic violence against Papuans.

Benny Giay, a local church leader, said experts involved in the teams were "not representative" and that the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) rejected their establishment.

He said GKI Chairman Herman Saut had written to President Megawati on Friday, rejecting the involvement of Karel Theeil Erari in the KPN as a representative of the church.

Another three Papuans included in the team are Jhon Ibo, Simon Patrice Morin and Lukas Karl Degey.

Theys, a charismatic Papuan leader from the separatist Papua Presidium Council (PDP), was found dead in his car in an area bordering Papua New Guinea on Nov. 11, 2001, a day after he was reportedly kidnapped by unidentified assailants.

The abduction took place only a quarter of an hour after he and his driver Aristoteles Masoka returned from attending Heroes Day celebrations at the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) compound in Hammadi.

Local religious leaders and Papuan activists said members of Kopassus may have played a role in the killing.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto have admitted the possible involvement of military personnel in the murder.