Theys' death fuels Indonesian Papua freedom call

Theys' death fuels Indonesian Papua freedom call

Tomi Soetjipto, Reuters, Sentani, Irian Jaya

The mysterious death of a separatist chief in Irian Jaya (locals
prefer to call it Papua) has bolstered calls for independence in
the remote province, pouring cold water on Jakarta's efforts to
win over locals by granting more autonomy.

Local leaders said the death of Theys Hiyo Eluay could also
hurt the Papua Presidium Council (PDP) he chaired and which
represents a range of pro-independence views, by opening the door
for armed rebels to seize back the spotlight.

That in turn could provide the Indonesian military with a good
excuse to launch a major crackdown.

Theys was buried in his home town of Sentani on Saturday
during an emotional funeral attended by 10,000 people, one week
after he was found dead. The council, which advocates non-
violence, insists he was murdered.

"Papuan trust in the government has dived. Not only does it
crystallize calls for independence but (Theys's death) has become
a legitimate reason to (seek this)," Agus Alua, a member of the
council and a lecturer in philosophy and theology in the
provincial capital Jayapura, said.

Damianus Marian, a truck driver who attended the funeral in
Sentani, some 3,700 km (2,300 miles) east of Jakarta, added: "Our
passion has strengthened. We are angry but are still patient and
love peace. If not, Jayapura would have been flattened by now."

"The death has shown the world that it's not true that only a
small number of people want independence. You can see that from
the thousands who walked up to Sentani yesterday," he said.

Papua is one of the knottiest woes confronting President
Megawati Soekarnoputri. She has apologized to Papuans for past
human rights abuses but made clear the eastern province of two
million people and its natural resources would never be free.

Activists said such views had failed to win over local people
and only encouraged military and police intolerance.

The province was recently renamed Papua from Irian Jaya as
part of autonomy measures giving local leaders greater control
over it and a bigger slice of the wealth.

Theys was found dead in his upturned car a week ago after
eating dinner with the head of the army's elite special forces.
Authorities have offered conflicting views of his death.

Some Papua Presidium Council members insist Theys's loss will
not weaken their fight for independence but the council faces a
leadership crisis due to a lack of candidates who can satisfy the
different tribal backgrounds of the body.

Alua said Theys's death could create friction in the council
and might allow Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebels to regain the
center stage, which would be a setback to the body's stated
desire of peacefully seeking independence.

"Such a scenario is haunting the council. That could be the
aim of his death... as well as destabilizing us," Alua said.

Willy Mandowen, another senior member of the council, denied
there was any friction among the leadership.

Despite his links to the autocratic rule of former president
Soeharto, the larger-than-life Theys was revered by many Papuans.
He was once a parliamentarian in the former Golkar ruling group,
Soeharto's political vehicle.

The council eschews the hard line taken by the OPM, which has
been fighting a low-level guerrilla war for decades.

Under Soeharto's rule, the OPM was at the forefront of
resistance to Jakarta, but its profile has taken a hit from the
council's rise to prominence.

The council has yet to appoint any new leader, saying the
decision would be made by its 32 top figures when the authorities
unveil the results of an inquiry into Theys's death.

Mandowen repeated a long-held belief among human rights groups
that there was reluctance in some official quarters to make peace
in Papua and Indonesia's other separatist region, Aceh, because a
number of people reaped benefits from the chaos.

"In the end Papua will remain another security project.
Megawati must review the government's policy to win the hearts of
the Papuans and stop using repressive measures," Mandowen said.

The local Institute for Human Rights Study Advocacy (Elsham)
has likened the current situation in Papua to that of the 1960s
when the territory was under pressure to join Indonesia.

"The people were terrorized and intimidated, fear was spread
everywhere (back then)," Elsham said in a report.

Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1963 after heavy
diplomatic pressure on the Netherlands, Indonesia's former
colonial ruler. In 1969 a UN-run plebiscite was held among local
leaders, including Theys, which resulted in a vote to join
Indonesia. The vote has been widely criticized as unfair.