Papuans shed tears in Theys' funeral

Papuans shed tears in Theys' funeral

R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Sentani

Intense grief gripped Sentani, Irian Jaya, on Saturday morning as
more than 10,000 mourners attended the burial of pro-independence
Papuan Presidium Council (PDP) chairman Theys Hiyo Eluay, 63.

The Ondofolo tribal chief turned freedom fighter was buried in
his home village here, about 45 kilometers from Irian Jaya's
capital Jayapura, in a ceremony befitting a people's hero.
Sentani transformed into a sea of people.

Indonesia's easternmost province has been in mourning for a
week after Theys was found dead in his car on Nov. 11, after
allegedly being kidnapped on Nov. 10 evening. Prior to his death,
Theys had attended a dinner party at the Kopassus (Army's Special
Force) headquarters in Hamadi, Jayapura.

Police are still investigating the mysterious circumstances
surrounding Theys' death.

The procession, which was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. (8
a.m. in Jakarta), was delayed as hundreds of Theys' supporters
from remote areas of Irian Jaya demanded that Theys be buried
only after the cause of his death became clear.

Priest Herman Awom, however, managed to pacify the supporters.

The one-kilometer procession from Theys' home to his burial
site, a soccer field turned cemetery for Papuan proindependence
heroes, took about 40 minutes.

Local officials, religious leaders and PDP executives,
including representatives from Australia and Papua New Guinea
were present, as were Torajan, Ambonese and Batak migrants.

Residents lining the Sentani streets removed their hats and
lowered their umbrellas as Theys' coffin, draped in the Morning
Star Papuan flag, passed by. Many cried, others became
hysterical.

Dozens of wreaths sent by local government officials and
businessmen added color to an otherwise melancholy scene. The
largest was sent by former president Abdurrahman Wahid.

Theys' widow, Yaneke Ohee Eluay, his seven sons and other
close relatives circled the coffin seven times before the burial.

The independence movement anthem Tanah Papua was sung and an
eulogistic poem was read. Later, spiritual songs turned to
hysterical grief when the coffin was lowered into the ground at
about 1 p.m. local time.

State Minister of the Accelerated Development in Eastern
Indonesia Manuel Kaisiepo conveyed condolences from President
Megawati Soekarnoputri and Coordinating Minister for Political
and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during a post-
burial media conference.

He said the President and coordinating minister had also asked
the police to thoroughly investigate the case.

Saturday's procession was a repeat, albeit on a larger scale,
of one held last Tuesday, when more than 7,000 of Theys'
supporters escorted the delivery of his body from Jayapura to
Sentani.