Don Greenlees, Jakarta – Indonesian armed forces commander General Endriartono Sutarto has sent a special team to Papua to investigate allegations that the military were involved in the murders of three employees of the Freeport copper and gold mine, including two Americans.
The appointment of the investigation team, under General Sutarto's intelligence assistant, Major-Gene ral Luthfi, follows claims that General Sutarto was aware of plans to stage an incident at Freeport before the August 31 ambush of the three employees. The Washington Post, quoting an unnamed US official, reported that senior Indonesian military officers, including General Sutarto, wanted to discredit Free Papua Organisation (OPM) guerillas.
The allegations intensify pressure on armed forces headquarters at a time when the future of military ties with the US, Australia and other Western countries is in the balance. To consolidate the campaign against terrorism, foreign governments would like to resume some suspended military contacts with Indonesia, but continued claims of misconduct by Indonesian troops are complicating those overtures. At least six soldiers of the special forces, or Kopassus, are due to face court soon over the murder of Papuan independence leader Theys Eluay, killed a year ago next Monday. Suspicions remain over whether there was military involvement in the Freeport ambush on August 31.
General Sutarto has denied knowledge of a military role in the Freeport killings, but the decision to appoint an internal investigation team reflects the level of anxiety at armed forces headquarters over the damage being done by allegations of military involvement in the ambush.
In an effort to take the initiative, General Sutarto has told advisers he is thinking of taking legal action against The Washington Post.
Stemming the damage could prove difficult. FBI agents visited Papua to monitor an Indonesian police investigation, and Western diplomats are concerned over signs that soldiers interfered with the crime scene in an effort to point the blame at the OPM. This has fuelled suspicions of a military role in carrying out the ambush. Western diplomatic sources in Jakarta have claimed indications of military complicity are supported by communications intercepts, although the extent of hard evidence is disputed in diplomatic circles.
Former Papua police chief I Made Pastika, now in charge of the Bali bomb investigation, has admitted privately that he believes Indonesian soldiers were connected to the ambush, but is yet to release results of the investigation.