Salossa asks Megawati to name publicly Theys' killers

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.