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.