The AGE 31/7/02

Soldier arrested over independence leader's death

Jakarta

Indonesia's armed forces chief said yesterday that the soldier thought to be directly responsible for the mysterious death of an independence leader in Indonesia's Papua province had been arrested.

Separatist leader Theys Eluay died last November after meeting Indonesian military officials for dinner. Three officers have been detained in Jakarta since April for their role in the alleged murder, which has increased tensions in the province. "We just found out recently who did this," General Endriartono Sutarto said, referring to the arrest of a soldier who was allegedly in a car with Mr Eluay when he died. "We have a commitment to bring them to court."

The soldier has not been charged but was being held in custody at military police headquarters in Jakarta, military police chief Major-General Sulaiman Ahmad Basir said. Earlier, a defence lawyer for Lieutenant-Colonel Hartomo, one of the three detained officers, said his client told military police on Monday that Mr Eluay had died of a heart attack while being
questioned during a car journey and was not murdered.

But Mr Eluay's supporters and human rights activists insist he was murdered. A post mortem found he had been strangled and police said Mr Eluay was kidnapped by unidentified men. Colonel Hartomo was commander of the elite Kopassus special forces in Papua at the time of Mr Eluay's death.
Defence lawyer Ruhut Sitompul said the officers then panicked and ran off, leaving Mr Eluay's body in his car.

Indonesia annexed Papua, a former Dutch colony, in 1969. Since then, a separatist army has fought for independence. Mr Eluay had advocated peaceful dialogue rather than violence in his struggle for independence. - AP