Tempo Magazine - April 2 - 8, 2002 

Cover Story : Generals at Loggerheads, Theys Dead in the Middle 

Squabbles over money and political influence within the military may have "inspired" the murder of the Papuan activist. 

THEYS Hiyo Eluay was different from Teungku Abdullah Syafi'ie. So were their deaths. Abdullah Syafi'ie, at least according to the version of events from the Indonesian Military (TNI), was shot dead during a clash between members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and TNI troops. The events leading up to his death are clear, and those responsible were applauded within TNI. But Theys? It is only now, nearly five months after the chairman of the Papuan Presidium was killed, that the perpetrators are starting to be revealed, although the motive and the people behind the murder are still shrouded in mystery. 

Both men were important in the eyes of their respective peoples. The shooting of Syafi'ie is having a significant effect on the resolution of the conflict in Aceh. The death of Theys has led to dejection among the people of Papua. Relations between Jakarta and Indonesia's easternmost province have become strained. This is what led to President Megawati canceling her planned visit to Papua last December. 

But last week there was a breath of fresh air from TNI headquarters at Cilangkap, Jakarta. After denying for months that any military personnel were involved in the murder of Theys, Last Tuesday the head of the TNI Information Center, Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, admitted it. And the following day, commander of the Military Police Center, Maj. Gen. Sulaiman A.B. confirmed that several Army Special Forces (Kopassus) personnel were involved. "In the near future, we will name them as suspects," he said. 

But who are they? Maj. Gen. Sulaiman did not want to give their names. What is certain is that they are members of the Kopassus Tribuana Task Force under the operational command of Military Area Command (Kodam) XII Trikora. From a source in the Papuan Police, TEMPO learned the names of several people suspected of involvement (see: Invisible Commander, Invisible Troops). 

At first, the police handled the case. The seven people were among the 20 Kopassus members who were asked to give statements to the police as witnesses. They were also questioned by the Trikora Kodam Military Police. But, according to commander of the Trikora Military Police, Col. Sutarna, none of those questioned were declared suspects at the time. "The questioning was done because the local people suspected Kopassus was involved," said Sutarna. 

Not long after Theys' body was found in his Kijang car in Koya Tengah, about 35km from Jayapura, on November 11 last year, the Papuan people began to suspect Kopassus. Before he was kidnapped and murdered, Theys had attended a Heroes' Day celebration at Kopassus Headquarters in Hamadi, approximately 3km from Jayapura. Another cause for suspicion was the disappearance of Aristoteles Masoka, Theys' driver, who, according to a number of witnesses, returned to Kopassus HQ in a hurry that night. In the words of Bob Eluay, Theys' son, "After a ceremony, as the hosts, Kopassus should bear responsibility for [the safety of] invited guests." 

Until last week, Kopassus commander general Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaini was still denying his men were involved. He said that if Kopassus members had been involved, he would definitely know from the report of the Kopassus investigating team. "Until now, there are none of my [Kopassus] men involved," he told TEMPO News Room. 

It seems that it was the strong opposition from TNI, especially from Kopassus Headquarters at Cijantung, that stopped the case of this contemptible murder from being solved. After investigating for three months, the police eventually threw up their hands in the face of a military brick wall. Then, because of pressure from the Papuan people, a National Investigating Commission (KPN) led by Koesparmono Irsan was established in February. 

The commission rapidly turned the focus of its investigation toward Army involvement. But after a month, the normally straight-talking Koesparmono become reluctant to speak. All he told TEMPO was that the results of the KPN investigation were not much different from those of the police. Like the military, the former deputy commander of the National Police did not want to name the suspects. 

Sensitive? Yes, says Kusnanto Anggoro. According to the military expert from the Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), Theys was the victim of a dispute between two retired generals in Jakarta. One of them is no longer in a position of power and is facing charges of human rights abuses. The other is becoming more influential in the worlds of politics and intelligence. The two generals, according to Kusnanto, are fighting over who will become kingmaker in the national political arena. 

The effects of this conflict have spread far and wide, including into the world of business because it is always difficult to separate power and money. In Papua, according to Kusnanto, they are arguing over forestry land worth US$40 million, or about Rp400 billion. "It seems that one general was of the opinion that Theys had adversely affected the land business there," 
said Kusnanto. 

This suspicion makes a great deal of sense because as a local traditional leader Theys was responsible for managing land use in his area. And because of that, said Papuan Legal Aid board director Demianus Wakman, businessmen holding forestry land use permits in Theys' area often asked for his help in disputes with local people. 

There were many complex problems because many local residents did not agree with the activities of these businessmen. But they could not protest too strongly because some of the enterprises were backed by generals in Jakarta. Generally they also made use of troops, especially Kopassus, to ensure security (see: Squeezed by the Logging Business). 

Theys was finally squeezed out by those in the logging industry. According to a TEMPO source, a retired general who is still active in the government used Kopassus members to kill Theys. By coincidence his son-in-law was stationed there. It was this son-in-law who planned the operation to kidnap Theys. It is possible that all this happened without the knowledge of the Kopassus commander in Cijantung or even the commander of the Trikora Kodam. 

A TEMPO source in Kopassus insisted that Cijantung had never given an order for Theys to be killed. Lt. Col. Hartomo, Kopassus commander in Papua, has already been questioned by the Kopassus commander general. "He also said that he had not given such an order," said the source. 

Do not be surprised if Trikora Kodam commander Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon says time and time again that he very much wants the case to be solved. But if Tribuana Kopassus personnel were involved, he maintained, it is not his responsibility. 

Perhaps Mahidin is right to feel that he was not responsible for the order to kill Theys. As proof of this, when a key witness to the incident was questioned without Mahidin's knowledge, according to John Rumbiak from the Institute for the Study and Advocacy of Human Rights, Mahidin angrily shouted, "Who else has stabbed me in the back?" 

There are other possibilities. Previously the suspicion spread that the murder was for political reasons. This was because of the circulation of an "Operational Plan" that came out of a meeting at the Home Affairs Ministry on June 9, 2000, while Abdurrahman Wahid was still president. 

The meeting, chaired by Director-General of National Unity and Society Protection, was attended by several officials, including TNI personnel. In the minutes of the meeting, it was stated that a watch would have to be kept on various Papuan activists, including Theys Eluay, because of their support for Papuan independence. 

Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno admitted the meeting had taken place. But he denied that an order had been given for acts of terror toward Papuan people, let alone for planning a murder. 

At the time, the relationship between Theys and Abdurrahman Wahid was fairly close. According to Mahfud Md., defense minister at the time, many officials did not agree with this close dialogue that Wahid undertook to handle the matter of Papua. But, "If the president wanted things that way, like it or not, they had to implement it [the policy]," he said. 

After Wahid was ousted last July, the military influence in the government increased. Members of Papuan NGOs believe that Theys was killed to paralyze the Papuan independence movement. 

The job of the National Investigating Commission is to uncover the motive and those behind the murder of Theys. Only then will it be clear whether he was killed for political reasons, as a result of the generals and logging or a combination of the two. 

What is certain is that Theys was different from Syafi'ie. His death is still a mystery and a cause for suspicion to this day. 

Gendur Sudarsono, Arif Kuswardono, Dewi Rina Cahyani, Cunding Levi (Jayapura)