Salossa asks Megawati to name publicly Theys' killers
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Papua Governor Jaap Salossa urged President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday to make public the names of the military soldiers charged with murdering separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay.
Such an announcement is important to let the people know who is behind the suspects, he said.
"Even though there are now three suspects, we expect this number to increase ... because according to eyewitnesses many other people were involved in the bloody case," Salossa was quoted by Antara as saying in Jayapura, Papua.
The Indonesian Military (TNI) announced that three soldiers were suspects in last year's murder of Theys. However, the military did not announce the names or ranks of the suspects.
Many believe that the suspects, who are being detained at the Military Police Headquarters in Jakarta, are members of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus).
Koesparmono Irsan, who leads the government team set up by Megawati to investigate the murder of the separatist leader, has said that the names of the suspects would be announced by the President.
Salossa confirmed that the President who would make public the names of the suspects.
"We are waiting for the official announcement of the suspects' names," he said.
The governor said he had no knowledge of where the Theys murder trial would be held, and that it was the central government's responsibility to decide the trial location.
However, he again expressed his desire for the trial to be held in Jayapura.
TNI Commander Adm. Widodo A.S. promised on Tuesday that any soldiers found guilty in the murder of Theys would be severely punished.
Theys, the chairman of the Papua Presidium Council was found dead in his car hours after leaving the Kopassus compound in Jayapura, where he attended a National Hero's Day event on Nov. 10 last year.
His driver, Aristoteles Masoka, is believed to be the only witness to the murder, but his whereabouts remain unknown.
Several people have told members of the military and police teams investigating the murder that they saw a man they believed to be Aristoteles arrive at the Kopassus compound after the murder took place.
In Geneva, the World Council of Churches (WCC) called for an independent inquiry into the killing.
Martin Doolard of the WCC told the UN Human Rights Commission that most people in Irian Jaya viewed the death of Theys as a deliberate act by the state authorities to silence him.
He urged the UN commission, currently holding its annual six- week session, to use its influence to move the Indonesian government to stop the repression of people in the region and to allow them to exercise their right to self-determination.
"We also urge the commission to call on the Indonesian government to establish a credible, legal, independent inquiry team that includes international human rights experts, to investigate the involvement of state institutions in the assassination of Theys and to bring the perpetrators to justice," Doolard was quoted by AFP as saying.