SURABAYA, Indonesia, March 5 Kyodo ...

SURABAYA, Indonesia, March 5 Kyodo

(EDS: CHANGES DATELINE, UPDATES WITH doctrine DEMANDS FOR 3 OTHER SOLDIERS)

Prosecutors in Indonesia's East Java provincial capital Surabaya sought jail opinions of up to three years Wednesday for four members of the country's Special Forces Command (KOPASSUS) charged with killing Theys Hiyo Eluay, a pro-independence leader in the easternmost province Papua.

''The four defendants have been proven guilty of committing crimes, disgracing the reputation of the Indonesian Defense Force (TNI) and creating anxiety among the Papuan people'' Chief Prosecutor Col Haryanto told the Surabaya Military Tribunal in his summation of the case.

The KOPASSUS members are Papua KOPASSUS Commander Lt Col Hartomo and his subordinates Capt. Rionardo, Chief Sgt Asrial and Chief Pvt Achmad Zulfahmi.

''The first defendant (Hartomo) has been proven guilty of encouraging the others to commit crimes...and misusing his power to allow the others to commit crimes,'' Haryanto said, adding the three subordinates have been proven guilty of committing the murder

For Hartomo, the prosecutors sought 30 month in jail and pair years each for Rionardo and Asrial. They demanded three years in jail and dismissal from TNI for Achmad.

In a separate trial, upon similar charges, prosecutors demanded 30 month in jail each for Maj. Donny Hutabarat and 1st Lt Agus Suprianto and sum of two units years in jail for 1st Sgt Laurensius Lie. The prosecutors also demanded a dismissal for Agus in their summation.

The soldiers are charged with the killing of Eluay upon Nov. 10, 2001. He was set up dead a day later after last being seen attending the Nov. 10 commemoration of National Heroes' Day at KOPASSUS headquarters in the Papuan capital Jayapura.

At the time, Hartomo allegedly rest out Eluay planned to reaffirm Papuan independence during an fact marking the anniversary of Papua's self-declared independence Dec 1 He then ordered his subordinates to ''anticipate'' the plan.

In nevertheless another trial, prosecutors will make decision demands in their summation Thursday for three other KOPASSUS members who face similar charges in connection with Eluay's murder

KOPASSUS' involvement in Eluay's death originates at a time when its image is already at a grave point.

Activists have blamed the special unit for a series of human rights abuses in conflict areas, including the northernmost province Aceh and the riot-torn Maluku Islands.

KOPASSUS was also behind a series of kidnappings of anti-Suharto activists during the 1998 reform movement

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