Jakarta – Religious leaders in Irian Jaya have nominated a number of activists and experts to be included in the planned national commission to carry out an independent investigation into the murder of proindepedence Papua Presidium Council (PDP) Chairman Dortheys "Theys" Hiyo Eluay.
They also added that the commission should exclude the military, police and government officers to allow it to conduct an objective and thorough investigation into the case.
The religious leaders proposed two names from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), one from the National Commission on Women's Rights (Komnas Perempuan), two from the University of Indonesia and Cendrawasih University and four from legal aid institutions.
Those proposed by the religious figures were Asmara Nababan and H.S. Dillon, both from Komnas HAM, Kamala Cadhrakirana from Komnas Perempuan, Harkristuti Harkrisnow of the University of Indonesia, Ferry Kareth of Cendrawasih University, John Rumbiak of the Irian Jaya office of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM), Damianus Wakman of the Irian Jaya Legal Aid Institution, Bambang Wijoyanto of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI), Johnson Panjaitan of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), a forensic expert and an expert from the Attorney General's Office.
"The independent commission must comprise independent, credible members who have expertise in conducting an investigation so that they are able of analyzing all the data and material evidence for the sake of justice and law enforcement," the religious leaders said in a joint press release here on Tuesday.
The press release made available to The Jakarta Post was signed by Priest Jack Mote, deputy bishop of Jayapura, Jan B. Rumbrar of the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI), Zubeir, chairman of the local chapter of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and Noakh Nawipa, deputy chairman of the Christian synod in Papua on Tuesday.
The religious leaders also called on the government to appoint them, experts and a special United Nations rapporteur to supervise the commission and allow it to recruit its own assistants. They also appreciated the government's decision not to be included in the commission and made it clear that they would also appreciate it if the military and the police were also not included in the commission.
To allow the commission to conduct a thorough and objective investigation, according to them, the religious leaders called on the central government to give the independent commission the authority to summon and investigate all civilian witnesses as well as those from government offices, police and military and to gain material evidence, documents from the above institutions for the investigation.
The government has recently decided to set up a national commission to investigate the case after several teams, including the one conducted by the police, failed to reveal those behind the murder.
Irian Jaya Police Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika said recently there was an indication that the military was allegedly involved in the murder but they could not conduct further investigation because the military was not under the jurisdiction of civilian law.
Theys was found dead inside his car in the village of Koya Tengah in Jayapura close to the border with Papua New Guinea on Nov. 11, 2001, a day after he was abducted by unidentified gunmen. He, along with his driver Aristoteles Masoka, were abducted only an hour after attending Heroes Day celebrations at the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) unit compound in Hammadi subdistrict, Irian Jaya. Masoka, who reported the abduction to Theys' wife, is still at large.
Papuan students and people have frequently held demonstrations in Jayapura to press the government to set up an international investigation into the case, protect human rights in Papua and review the history of the province's integration into Indonesia.