Rights body to probe Theys' death

Rights body to probe Theys' death

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says it will
set up an independent team to investigate the alleged murder of
proindependence Papuan leader Theys Hiyo Eluay if the
investigation carried out by the police fails to satisfy the
public at large.

"Komnas HAM will certainly set up an independent investigating
team as it is almost certain that the police investigation into
the case will not (satisfy the public)," Komnas HAM member Albert
Hasibuan told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He stressed, however, that such an independent team would only
be set up after the police announced the results of their
investigation.

According to Albert, the findings of the police investigation
will be received negatively by the public since the police
authorities had announced their conclusion that Theys was
murdered by proindependence hard-liners even before the
investigation had been completed.

"A statement by a police officer in Papua province that Theys
was killed as the result of an internal conflict in the
proindependence movement has resulted in doubts about the
seriousness of the police investigation," he said.

Religious leaders from Papua province called on the rights
body on Monday to set up an independent investigation to look
into Theys' death, arguing that Papuans had already lost trust in
the Indonesian police and military.

Theys, the chairman of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP), was
found dead on Nov. 11 near the capital of Jayapura close to the
Papua province-Papua New Guinea border. He was kidnapped on his
way home from a dinner with security officials in Jayapura.

He said the rights body had already set up a monitoring team
that would conduct a preliminary investigation into the case.

The members of the monitoring team included Bambang W.
Soeharto, Koesparmono Irsan, and Sjamsuddin, all Komnas HAM
members, and they would become the core members of the planned
independent investigating team, he said.

"Members of the monitoring team will soon go to Papua to
conduct a preliminary investigation. They will meet with public
figures as well as police officials to collect as much
information as they can," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda
expressed doubts on Tuesday that the effort by proindependence
leader Tom Beanal to bring Theys' death to the attention of the
United Nations would gain support in the world body.

"When I was in New York from Nov. 15 through Nov. 20, many
foreign ministers asked me about the murder, but most of them
just made flat statements," he told journalists.