Theys Hiyo Eluay

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Dortheys Hiyo Eluay (born November 3, 1937 in Sentani ; † November 10, 2001 ) was an Indonesian politician and former chairman of the Presidium of the Papuarate.

Life

Theys Eluay was chief of the Sentani tribe . He was one of the 1,025 handpicked Papua leaders who, in the 1969 Act of Free Choice, voted for West Papua to remain with Indonesia. Eluay represented West Papua in the Indonesian parliament for 15 years. He was a party member of the leading Golkar party. After the end of the Suharto government in 1998, Eluay switched to the independence movement and became its most famous leader.

The 64-year-old's controversial political biography made him many enemies. His calls for peace, reconciliation and dialogue with the Indonesian government were particularly displeasing to the Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM, “Organization for a Free Papua”), which has been campaigning for the “liberation” of the province for 36 years.

In June 2001 Eluay was elected chairman of the Papuan Presidium. The Presidium is campaigning for a referendum on the independence of the Indonesian province and a few weeks earlier had rejected an internal autonomy regulation for West Papua.

On November 10, 2001, Eluay was on his way back from the Hotel Matoa in Jayapura , where he was attending a dinner with high-ranking representatives of the Indonesian special forces Kopassus on the occasion of a celebration of "Heroes Day", to Sentani, when unknown men kidnapped him. A few hours later, his body was found in his car that had crashed down a steep slope in Koya , around nine kilometers from the border with Papua New Guinea . She showed signs of torture and strangulation , and an autopsy was ordered. At the time of the murder, Eluay was only released on bail . His subversive action was due to be completed in court in the next few days.

During the transfer of the body in a coffin decorated with the morning star flag from Kota to his hometown Sentani, up to 5,000 people lined the 45 km long route. Eluay was buried here on November 17th in the presence of 10,000 people. The ceremony was chaired by Rev. Herman Awom (GKI). Theys Eluay leaves behind his wife Yaneke Ohee and seven children.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ June C. Nash: Social movements: an anthropological reader
  2. ^ The life and death of Theys Eluay - Inside Indonesia. Retrieved August 16, 2015 .
  3. ↑ Theys Hiyo Eluay murder case: The search for the motive for the crime. In: Watchindonesia.org. Retrieved August 16, 2015 .
  4. ^ Damien Kingsbury: Power Politics and the Indonesian Military . 1st edition. Routledge Curzon, London 2003, ISBN 0-203-98758-6 , pp. 104 .
personal data
SURNAME Eluay, Theys Hiyo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Eluay, Dorthey's Hiyo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Indonesian politician
DATE OF BIRTH November 3, 1937
PLACE OF BIRTH Sentani
DATE OF DEATH November 10, 2001