Police urged to announce probe result
R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
Around 1000 students from various universities in Jayapura, the capital of Irian Jaya province, took to the streets on Tuesday insisting that the police speed up their investigation into the death of Papuan independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay.
Marching from the Cendrawasih University campus the students then stopped at the City Hall and made speeches urging police to immediately reveal the results of their investigation into Theys' death on Nov. 11.
The nonviolent protest was related to the students' ultimatum read on Dec. 1, 2001, that if police had not announced the results of their investigation into Theys' death by Dec. 10, they would take action.
The ultimatum was read by students' representative Nelson Kambuaya at the self-styled Papuan independence celebrations on Dec. 1 at Theys' residence in Sentani, some 45 kilometers from Jayapura.
The chairman of the Papuan Presidium Council, Theys was found dead in his car on Nov. 11 in Muara Tami district, southwest of Jayapura. His driver, Aristoteles Masoka, who was driving Theys home, has been missing since then.
Rumors have it that Theys was killed by the (Indonesian) military for his role in encouraging the Papuan people to separate from Indonesia.
Meanwhile military sources have speculated that the 63-year- old independence leader was possibly murdered by a rival organization as Theys was close to the Indonesian Military.
In Tuesday's protest the students also voiced their rejection of the special autonomy status (as planned by the central government) for the resource-rich province.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri is scheduled to visit Irian Jaya to officially hand over the special autonomy law on Dec. 22. She also plans to spend Christmas Eve with the Papuan people.
While some of the students made speeches, others shouted "Free Papua" and displayed banners. One of the banners read "Referendum is the only solution to the problems in Papua".
In Jakarta police say they have questioned seven personnel of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) in connection with Theys' death.
"We have questioned 40 people as witnesses, including seven Kopassus members over the incident," operational assistant to the National Police chief Comr. Gen. Sjachroedin Pagaralam told a press conference on Tuesday.
He said that the seven Kopassus' members included a middle- ranking officer.
"We have not made any conclusion yet as the cause of Theys' death remains unclear," Sjachroedin said, blaming Theys' family who did not grant permission for doctors to conduct a forensic examination on Theys' heart.
Speculations are rife that members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) were involved in the murder.
Earlier, the Trikora military commander overseeing the province Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon and Kopassus commander Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaeni said their troops were not involved in the incident.