KEY WITNESS IS THOUGHT TO BE IN THE HANDS OF KOPASSUS
The abduction and murder of Theys Hiyo Eluay, 64, the chairperson of the Papuan Presidium Council, is one of the consequences of the culture of militarism and impunity that has prevailed in West Papua (Irian Jaya) since it was annexed by Indonesia.
The history of violence dates back to the days of Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, who proclaimed TRIKORA on 19 December 1961 in Yogyakarta. This called for the destruction of the Dutch Puppet State, for mass mobilization and for the red-and-white flag to be unfurled in West Irian. Many Papuans were intimidated and murdered in those times. Amnesty International estimates that some one hundred thousand Papuans have been killed during the 38 years of integration with Indonesia.