Papuans again reject military in Theys case

Papuans again reject military in Theys case

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Religious leaders in the restive province of Papua rejected on
Saturday the inclusion of military and police personnel in the
planned National Investigation Commission (KPN), arguing that
they wanted only independent, professional and trustworthy people
to join the team.

"We stand by our position that ... the commission should be
endowed with strong legal powers by the President ... and contain
independent, professional and trustworthy people in the eyes of
the public," the religious leaders said in a letter sent to
President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Saturday. The letter was
signed by Papua Bishop Mgr. Leo Leba Ladjar.

"This conviction is held not only by religious leaders in
Papua but is also shared by the Papua governor, the police chief,
members of the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD),
scholars, humanitarian volunteers and all who wish that justice
be upheld in Indonesia, especially in Papua," they added.

The religious leaders were reacting to a central government
plan to include the military and police in KPN to investigate the
tragic death of independence leader Dortheys "Theys" Hiyo Eluay
in November 2001.

Theys, who was also chairman of the Papua Presidium Council,
was found dead in his car in Koya Tengah village, near the
provincial capital Jayapura, a day after he and his driver
Aristoteles Masoka were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen.

Investigations by Papua police and the Army headquarters have
concluded that certain military elements were responsible for
Theys' murder.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday that President
Megawati would soon issue a decree establishing an investigation
team, whose members would include military and police personnel,
and government officials.

Susilo was, however, quick to add, "the team would also have
prominent Papuan members, including religious leaders and several
human rights activists from the National Commission on Human
Rights (Komnas HAM) in Jakarta and Papua."

The religious leaders expressed disappointment over the
planned inclusion of military and police in the investigation
commission, saying that the move demonstrated that the central
government was not listening to the aspirations of its own people
living in Papua.

"We are deeply disappointed with the central government's plan
to include military and police personnel in KPN," the religious
leaders said in the letter, copies of which were also sent to,
among others, the Papua governor, Papua military commander, head
of Papua DPRD and legislators representing Papua province.

The religious leaders argued that Megawati's insistence on
including military and police personnel in the team showed "the
central government is again unwilling to open its heart to listen
to complaints from its own people, especially those in Papua, who
have long wanted a fair, transparent and independent probe into
the killing of Theys Hiyo Eluay without involving the military
and police."

They also accused the government of not being transparent and
even ignoring the people's aspirations in establishing the team
as they earlier demanded that the military, police, and
government officials be excluded from the team.

Earlier, a group of Papuan religious leaders had proposed two
names from Komnas HAM, one from the National Commission on
Women's Rights (Komnas Perempuan), one each from the University
of Indonesia and Cendrawasih University and four from legal aid
institutions.