Separating fact from fiction: Who killed Theys?

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.