Theys' killers get light sentences

Theys' killers get light sentences

Agencies, Surabaya

Seven Indonesian special forces (Kopassus) soldiers who killed a Papuan provincial leader while trying to silence his calls for independence were jailed Monday for between 24 and 42 months.

"The defendants were proven guilty of jointly engaging in mistreatment that led to the death of Theys Hiyo Eluay," AFP quoted Judge Col. Yamini as saying after he sentenced four of the soldiers in a military court.

Three others were sentenced later a trial which independence activists from the easternmost province described as a farce, saying it failed to establish who gave the order to silence Theys.

Maj. Doni Hutabarat, First Lt. Agus Supriyanto, Lt. Col. Hartomo and Pvt. Achmad Zulfahmi were jailed for 42 months and discharged from the army.

Capt. Rionardo and First Sergeant Asrial were jailed for three years but not discharged.

First Sgt. Lourensius Li received the lightest term -- two years in jail -- because he "only helped" in Theys' mistreatment and holds a low rank, Yamini said. Lourensius was allowed to remain in the army.

Theys' killing in November 2001 inflamed separatist sentiment in Papua, where the military has long been accused of killing, torturing and raping civilians.

Theys was killed while being driven home from a dinner at the Kopassus special forces headquarters in the provincial capital Jayapura.

Supriyanto has told the court that his superiors ordered him and Zulfahmi to pressure Theys to stop promoting independence.

As they drove Theys home from the dinner, Supriyanto said he and Zulfahmi tried to dissuade him from speaking out on the subject.

But Theys became upset and started shouting at them, prompting Zulfahmi to clamp his hand over Theys' mouth, Supriyanto has said.

Soldiers have said Theys was weak but alive when they left him.

Defence lawyers said they would appeal. They have described their clients as heroes who struggled to prevent Indonesia from breaking up.

"This court did not provide evidence to support the charges. We will appeal to the military supreme court," said lawyer Tommy Sihotang as quoted by Reuters.

The soldiers could have been jailed for 15 years if found guilty of murder.

A low-level armed revolt has been waged in the resource-rich province since Jakarta took it over in 1963 from Dutch colonial rulers.

Theys headed the Papua Presidium Council, which campaigned peacefully for independence.

His son Boy alleged the Kopassus officers were only the agents of a planned killing ordered by Jakarta military officers.

"Clearly there was an order from Jakarta," he told AFP from the family home.

Boy, 31, said the killing had "political overtones" because of his father's support for independence.

Tom Beanal, presidium vice president, said he could not take the military court seriously.

"The military killed him. How can they make the tribunal?" he asked. "I reject this. I don't see any integrity to it." Beanal said the murder was a human rights violation and should be handled by an international tribunal.

Willy Mandowen, a presidium moderator, suggested that the soldiers themselves were scapegoats.

"The motivation, why Theys was killed, who is responsible and who gave the order were questions not addressed in the military trial," he said.

Last week Amnesty International said it was investigating a report that troops had tortured villagers and torched homes during a hunt for rebels in Papua.