Thomas Wainggai, a prisoner of conscience serving a sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, died on 12 March 1996. He was in his late 50s and had been convicted of subversion for organizing a peaceful flag-raising ceremony. He was well-known in Irian Jaya for his opposition to Indonesian rule and advocacy of independence for the province. His death provoked large-scale riots in Irian Jaya. Before he died he had experienced stomach problems. An autopsy was performed and although Amnesty International does not have access to the report, available information suggests that the cause of death may have been stomach cancer.
