Papuan leaders want troops withdrawn
Papuan leaders want troops withdrawn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.