Papuan leaders want troops withdrawn

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Leading Papuan figures urged President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Thursday to declare the province a peace zone and pull out all troops recruited from outside the province.

"For the sake of peace, troops recruited from outside the province should be pulled out of Papua," said Rev. Agustin Iwangin Tanamal at a meeting with House Speaker Akbar Tandjung and legislators Astrid S. Susanto and Syaiful Rachman here.

The military has been accused of committing gross human rights violations in Papua, where a low-level secessionist movement has been fighting for independence.

According to Agustin, most human right abuses and violations of tribal rights were conducted by nonlocal personnel. No immediate information on the number of nonlocal troops in Papua is available.

Agustin and 19 Papuan leaders came here to seek an explanation from Jakarta over the murder of proindependence Papuan leader and Papuan Council Presidium (PDP) chief Theys Hiyo Eluway and the disappearance of his driver Aristoteles Masoka in November last year.

Delegation members included chief of the Sentani tribe Philippus Suebu, secretary-general of PDP Thaha Al Hamid, scholar Phil Erari and Yorris Raweyai, who was a supporter of the New Order regime.

Theys was found dead in his car in Koya Tengah village, near the provincial capital Jayapura, hours after attending a Heroes Day celebration at the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) compound.

Many believe that Theys was killed by Kopassus personnel.

After six months and the establishment of three different teams by the government, the murder remains a mystery.

"Details of the murder should be disclosed. The government should not merely pay lip service to the people," said Agustin.

Philippus Suebu called on the government to return to local tribes land that was confiscated by state agencies and the military.

According to Suebu, Papua was peaceful until the military deployed troops there.