Chris McCall, Jayapura – Accompanied by thousands of grieving supporters the murdered Papuan separatist leader Theys Eluay was escorted home for the last time yesterday in his coffin, draped in the banned Morning Star flag.

Amid shouts of "Merdeka", or independence, his body, which had been found in his car near a cliff close to the Papua New Guinea border, was taken from the regional legislature, where it had briefly lain in state, for the journey back to his home town of Sentani.

A post mortem examination on Sunday confirmed that he died of asphyxiation after he was abducted on Saturday night. His supporters believe he was strangled.

"This was planned to make something that is not wanted to the West Papuan people," said Benny Edward, 28. "They don't want freedom for West Papua."

A handful of armed soldiers and police lined the route to Sentani. But the atmosphere was one of peaceful grieving. Supporters sang hymns in memory of the man who had vowed to bring them the independence they believe they were cheated of three decades ago.

The army's special forces, Kopassus, and other military officials have denied they were involved, but their denials have convinced few. One officer had said that Mr Eluay, 64, who had recently spend weeks in hospital after his health had deteriorated in jail, could have died of heart failure. At the time of his death he was on trial with four colleagues for treason as a result of his independence activities.

Mr Eluay's abduction on Saturday followed his attending a function at Kopassus's invitation to mark Heroes Day, a key event in Indonesia's war of independence. His driver's whereabouts remain unclear, and there is widespread concern that he, too, may have been killed.

The mourners in yesterday's procession had no doubt who was to blame: the Indonesian Government.

Mr Eluay's former deputy on the Papuan Presidium Council, Thom Beanal, was expected in Sentani later in the day for the ceremonies. He has already been appointed its new chairman.