Seven of Indonesia's Kopassus special forces soldiers have been found guilty by an Indonesian court over the murder of Papuan pro independence leader They's Eluay in 2001. But the seven men face at most three and a half years in jail, and in some cases haven't even been stripped of their place in the Army.
Presenter/Interviewer: Tim Palmer, Indonesia Correspondent
Speakers: Sidney Jones, International Crisis Group, Jakarta; Willy Mandowan, Papuan Presidium Moderator; Janet Eluay,Theys Eluay widow
Tim Palmer: The seven elite Kopassus soldiers standing before the Court in Surabaya today were, in the words of their defence council, all heroes – men serving Indonesia at the highest level.
But the Court found they were something much less, tied up in a murky plot to silence a 64-year-old man who refused to stop championing Papuan independence and ended up strangled in a car.
Lieutenant Colonel Hartomo had tried to court Theys Eluay to try and change his mind, but when that didn't work he gave the message to his men to use stronger methods. For motivating the murder, Hartomo was today sentenced to three-and-a-half years' jail.
What happened on the night of his death is no clearer following the court case. Theys Eluay was the invited guest at a Kopassus dinner, but when Kopassus soldiers accompanied him home, it's alleged they argued over politics.
One Private, convicted today, said he placed his hand over Theys Eluay's mouth for as long as five minutes. When they left him in the car, the soldiers insist Theys Eluay was alive. He was found throttled to death the next morning.
The sentencing of seven members of Kopassus to jail is something of a watershed for a body that's long been accused of abducting and torturing dissidents in Indonesia. But the sentences are light and in some cases the soldiers found guilty won't even be forced to leave army ranks.
Beyond that, the lack of a clear picture for the military court over who really ordered the killing has undercut its credibility. Sydney Jones of the International Crisis Group.
Sydney Jones: Papuans are completely angered by the leniency shown these people. So even if they served some time, so what? There's no justice, as far as the Papuans are concerned. We don't know who gave the command and we don't know precisely what the motivation was. And with no information, how can you have any sense of justice?
Tim Palmer: And that's certainly how Papuan figures see it. Papuan presidium moderator Willy Mondoy says the wrong forum meant the trial was a sham.
Willy Mondoy: The City of Papua Council, on behalf of the people of West Papua, reject the process and the result of the military tribunal. It is a planned assassination and execution. Systematically planned and executed, no motive being properly investigated. Who responsible for the assassination and the killing was not clear.
Tim Palmer: Who do you think is responsible?
Willy Mondoy: Hartomo would not do it alone and that's why we, at an early stage, demanded a thorough investigation to be conducted by the Commission of Human Rights. Not this inquiry done through the Presidential decree. We cannot have the killer judge the killer.
Tim Palmer: You're alleging that the order for this killing was given at a political level?
Willy Mondoy: Yes, it's been totally politically motivated.
Tim Palmer: What do you think the result of this killing is in the end?
Willy Mondoy: That Theys Eluay has planted the morning star flag, the nationalism in the heart of all Papuans. It doesn't matter how many you kill, it never stops the aspirations of the people.
Tim Palmer: Theys Eluay's widow, Janik, echoes that. She believes President Megawati should accept responsibility for the killing. But she says the murder failed to achieve its political aim.
[Sound of Janik speaking]
"They hoped to kidnap and kill Theys so the voice of Papuans would vanish. But it won't happen. Even though they killed him, Papuans continue to talk of independence," she said after the verdicts were read.