T

he Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) said in Papua on Saturday that the police must thoroughly investigate the death of Merauke TV journalist Ardiansyah Matrais.

The 31-year-old’s body was found floating in a river near a coal warehouse in Merauke, Papua, last month.

“We urge the Papua and Merauke Police to handle the case seriously. According to a spokesperson for
the National Police there was evidence of violence on the journalist’s body, including loose teeth,” AJI Papua chapter chairman Viktor Mambor, told The Jakarta Post in Jayapura on Saturday.

He said Ardiansyah’s death also happened when threatening text messages had been sent to several Merauke journalists prior to the regional election that was held on Aug. 2.

“The cause of the death must be clearly revealed. If he was murdered, the murderer must be captured so we can learn the motive,” said Viktor, adding that violence against Merauke’s journalists had increased ahead the
elections.

The police have not named a suspect in the case. An autopsy concluded that Ardiansyah was still alive when thrown into the Maro River.

“He was strangled to death in the water,” a National Police re-presentative, Untung Yoga Ana, said on Friday as quoted by tem-pointeraktif.com, adding that the autopsy also found evidence of violence.

According to the AJI’s investigation, someone had been looking for Ardiansyah at home claiming to be a college friend, but was unknown to his family.

After Ardiansyah died, the unknown friend never showed up, Viktor said.

“We are now looking for information on who Ardiansyah talked to before his death,” Viktor said.

Papua Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Wachyono said that Ardianysah had been depressed and was once treated at a mental hospital.

“Let’s wait for the result of his autopsy to make sure of the cause of his death,” he said.

Wachyono also declined to comment on a possible connection to the threatening text messages received by the Merauke journalists.

Local journalist Lala Fakaubun said she stopped received threatening text messages after the National Police’s antiterrorism unit, Detachment 88, arrived in Merauke.

Some have speculated that Ardiansyah’s death was linked to his coverage of illegal logging practices in Papua, which had been published in Jubi magazine last year.

Other journalists in Papua, such as Bintang Papua reporter Lala, Papua Selatan Pos chief editor Raymond, Jubi tabloid reporter Indri and Cendrawasih Pos reporter Sulo have also received text message threats or letters written in blood, Indonesian Human Rights Watch said.