Stern sanctions await soldiers involved in Theys' killing
Stern sanctions await soldiers involved in Theys' killing
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo A.S. announced on
Tuesday that the three military officers who might be accused of
involvement in the killing of Papuan leader Theys Hiyo Eluay
would be severely punished if found guilty.
Widodo made the statement after presiding over a ceremony
commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Army's Special Force
(Kopassus) at its headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta.
Among guests present at the ceremony were TNI top brass and
former Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen.
(ret) Prabowo Subianto.
Without mentioning whether the three military officers were
Kopassus members, he said the TNI investigation team had
concluded that "the three military officers currently being
questioned at military police headquarters might be declared
suspects".
In a related development, national military police chief Maj.
Gen. Sulaiman A.B. said on Monday the three members currently
being questioned by his team had been detained as suspects in the
case.
The three were Kopassus members stationed in Jayapura, when
the killing of Theys took place, he said.
"The three, who have been detained since April 10, are members
of the Kopassus' Tribuana task force," Sulaiman told reporters.
"After several investigations, we (TNI) have concluded that
these three military officers might be declared suspects," Widodo
said.
"Once there is enough evidence, we will take legal action
against them," he said.
Asked whether the killing had any political motive, Sulaiman
said: "They will probably just be accused of committing murder.
Nevertheless, we have to find out of there was any motive".
Sulaiman added that the suspects would likely be tried at a
military tribunal.
Theys, chairman of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP), was
found dead hours after being abducted while heading home from the
Kopassus' compound in Jayapura, the capital of Irian Jaya
province, after attending a National Hero's Day event on Nov. 10
last year.
The only known key witness, Aristoteles Masoka, was Theys'
driver, but he remains missing.
Several other witnesses, who refused to be identified, told
members of the Military and the police investigation team
examining the case that they saw a man they believed to be
Aristoteles arriving at the Kopassus compound through the front
door after the murder took place.
Following the fact-finding team's reports, the TNI and the
Army headquarters formed an internal investigation team.
Amid mounting calls for the establishment of an independent
body to investigate the murder, President Megawati Soekarnoputri
signed early in February a decree naming an 11-member team led by
Koesparmono Irsan of the National Commission on Human Rights
(Komnas HAM).
Despite strong resistance from local people about its
integrity, the team went ahead with inspecting the Kopassus
compound in Hamadi, and excavated at several sites around the
headquarters to see if Aristoteles might have been buried there.
The investigation took place just after 40 members of the
Kopassus task force stationed there were withdrawn to Jakarta.
Kopassus chief Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaeni has offered legal
assistance to his troops should they face charges of murdering
Theys.