Theys Eluay

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

Life

Theys Eluay was Chief of the Sentani tribe. He was among the 1,025 hand-picked Papua leaders who spoke out in 1969 in the so-called " Act of Free Choice " for the fate of West Papua in Indonesia. For 15 years, represented Eluay West Papua in the Indonesian Parliament. He was a member of the party 's leading Golkar Party. After the end of the Suharto government in 1998 Eluay joined the independence movement and rose to become its most famous leader.

The controversial political biography of the 64 -year-olds gained him many enemies. His calls for peace, reconciliation and dialogue with the Indonesian government disliked especially the Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM, "Organization for a free Papua " ), the force has been working since 36 years for the "liberation" of the province.

In June 2001 Eluay was elected chairman of the Papua Presidium. The Bureau is committed to a referendum on the independence of the Indonesian province and had previously rejected an inner autonomy to West Papua few weeks.

On 10 November 2001, Eluay was on the way back from the hotel Matoa in Jayapura, where he attended a dinner with senior representatives of the Indonesian special forces Kopassus at a ceremony for "Heroes Day", according to Sentani when unidentified men abducted him. A few hours later his body was found in his, a steep slope down fallen car in Koya, about nine kilometers from the border with Papua New Guinea. They showed signs of torture and strangulation, an autopsy was ordered. At the time of the assassination Eluay was only against free on bail. His trial for subversion activity should be completed in the next few days in court.

With the transfer of the body in a decorated with the Morning Star flag coffin of Kota to his home in Sentani up to 5,000 people lined the 45km distance. Eluay was buried there on 17 November in the presence of 10,000 people. The ceremony was conducted by Rev. Herman Awom ( CCI). Theys Eluay survived by his wife and seven children Yaneke Ohee.