Separating fact from fiction: Who killed Theys?

Tjipta Lesmana, Indonesian Strategic Studies Institute (LPSI), Jakarta

Theys Hiyo Eluay, Chairman of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP), was found dead in his car on the morning of Nov. 11 after apparently being kidnapped the previous evening by unidentified persons. On that day, Nov. 10, Theys, 63, had attended a dinner party at the headquarters of the army's special force headquarters in Hamadi, Jayapura. The party was held in conjunction with the observance of National Heroes' Day.

Theys' sudden death shocked Papuans and instantly sparked speculation that the military (TNI) was behind it. Its spokesman Air Marshal Graito Usodo categorically denied the accusation, adding that the military condemned Theys' murder. According to State Intelligence Agency Chief Lt. Gen. (ret.) A.M. Hendropriyono, Theys might be a victim of conflict among PDP factions.

As to allegations of the TNI's involvement, there are some factors that contradict this suspicion. First, Theys was known for his good relationships with government officials in Papua and Jakarta. He even had a "special relationship" with former president Abdurrahman Wahid, from whom he successfully secured Rp 1 billion to fund the Papuan People's Congress. And Abdurrahman personally donated money when Theys was hospitalized in Jakarta.

Second, Theys' good personal contacts with certain high- ranking army officers were no secret among PDP executives. The fact that Kopassus invited him to attend the commemoration of National Heroes' Day and his acceptance of the invitation speaks for itself. In mid 1999, he delivered a speech at a seminar held by the National Defense Institute (Lemhannas) in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. On that occasion Theys vowed that Irian Jaya would always be part of the Republic.

Third, Theys was no hawk, but a dove. He never advocated the use of violence, let alone armed revolts, in pursuing the independence of Papua. He respected the police demand not to raise the Morning Star flag for more than 10 minutes when commemorating Papua Independence Day on Dec. 1 last year.

Fourth, unlike radical factions in the PDP, Theys supported the Special Autonomy Law for Irian Jaya. The law is intended to encourage Papuans to stop thinking about establishing their own nation.

Engineering a ploy to kill a political leader with such "cordial characteristics" is foolish, something the TNI is of course aware of. It would have been in the TNI's interests to "maintain" Theys.

Other speculation centers on the issue of the dissatisfaction of a number of army personnel with the current administration. They might be strict followers of the former New Order or those who felt offended at being pushed aside by TNI leaders -- more than 30 army generals were moved to "non job" positions under Abdurrahman's presidency.

Is there any possibility that they successfully provoked army personnel in Papua (previously Irian Jaya) to kill Theys to arouse anti-government sentiment among Papuans? That possibility is not unimaginable if we think back to the case of East Timor in 1999. Hopefully this possibility can be ruled out.

If Theys' assassination was indeed plotted by provocateurs living in Jakarta, as mentioned by Hendropriyono, it should be alarming to the central government. By killing Theys, the case of Papua might "go international", which is precisely what the government is seeking to avoid.

Following the path forged by East Timorese independence leaders, PDP executives are beginning to call for the intervention of the international community. By charging that Indonesia has misrepresented the history of Papua, they expect independent foreign parties to help re-establish the truth about Papua's integration into Indonesia in 1963.

Similar to the East Timor case, this will lead to demands for a tripartite dialog -- among Indonesia, the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and the United Nations.

Regarding East Timor, it took three years for the government in the tripartite dialog to try to convince the international community that East Timor was integral to Indonesia, but it failed. If the PDP succeeds in persuading the UN to begin the tripartite conference, Papua's separation is just a matter of time!

A third theory regarding Theys' murder implicates radical factions within the PDP, which are said to have conspired with the armed wing of the OPM who call themselves the National Liberation Army (TPN). Frictions between "the hawks" and "the doves" within PDP had been mounting over the past year.

The failure of PDP executives chaired by Theys to declare the independence of the Free Papua State on Dec. 1 2000, in line with the Papuan People's Congress resolution, upset radical factions. Theys was accused of being too docile and too compromising to Jakarta.

In the meantime, armed attacks targeting army and police installations launched by the TPN have had an impact, causing several deaths on the police side. Some TNP leaders claimed that they had no relationship with the PDP, since their sole aim was to immediately win Papua's freedom from the Republic through force.

According to the theory, by assassinating Theys and casting TNI as the masterminds, the radicals believed that people throughout the region would reunite in their fight to separate Papua from Indonesia.

Apart from the question of who killed Theys, the Nov. 11 tragedy could weaken Jakarta's grip on Papua. The killing has suddenly alarmed the international community and Papua's claim of independence might have some legitimacy worthy of their moral support. The European Council has reportedly urged Indonesia to start a full investigation into the incident. Tom Beanal, PDP Deputy Chairman and a commissioner of Freeport Indonesia, may also be approaching certain parties in the U.S. Tom, expected to be named PDP Chairman in the near future, is believed to belong to the "hawk group" within the PDP. Radicalization of the PDP would therefore be unavoidable and acceptance of the Special Autonomy Law would be more difficult.

Rumors are now circulating that most Papuans reject the law, instead urging the local government and council to immediately hold a referendum.

To offset the radical factions' dangerous maneuvers following Theys' death, the government must investigate and uncover the truth behind the Nov. 11 incident. Whoever stands behind the murder must be announced to the public.

By revealing the motives for the killing, information about the current direction of the independence movement in Papua could also be uncovered.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri must prioritize this case. Otherwise, she could follow in the steps of former president B.J. Habibie, who become a leader known for his failure to maintain the territorial integrity of the Republic.