Little expected from rights tribunal<\/p>\n
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Relatives of the victims of the 1984 Tanjung Priok incident
\nexpressed pessimism on Saturday over the upcoming human rights
\ntribunal, saying it was established mainly due to external
\npressures rather than good faith.<\/p>\n
\"As the government appears to be dragging its feet on the
\nprocess, I'm pessimistic about the ad hoc tribunal. Besides, it
\n(the establishment of the tribunal) was not initiated by the
\ngovernment, it is the result of external pressure,\" Beni Biki,
\ncoordinator of the Tandjung Priok Families' Victims Association,
\ntold The Jakarta Post over the weekend.<\/p>\n
After so many delays, the government finally unveild Monday
\nthe names of 18 ad hoc judges who would try human rights
\nviolations committed in East Timor in 1999 and in the Tanjung
\nPriok incident in 1984.<\/p>\n
\"I don't see any signs of the government's seriousness in this
\nmatter. They are stalling for time ... it's more like a shameful
\ncharade,\" he said.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 12, 1984, military personnel opened fire on a
\ndemonstration led by Amir Biki to demand the release of four
\npersons detained by the Tanjung Priok military command in North
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
The four were being held for their alleged involvement in Amir
\nBiki's movement protesting the government's policy of the azas
\ntunggal (sole basis), which required all groups to adopt
\nPancasila as their ideology.<\/p>\n
The government only acknowledged 18 fatalities in the
\nincident, while Tanjung Priok residents claimed 400 people were
\nkilled or went missing.<\/p>\n
Amir Biki, the Muslim cleric accused of inciting the violence
\nduring the Tanjung Priok incident, was also killed along with his
\nfollowers.<\/p>\n
After the incident, Tanjung Priok residents experienced
\ndiscriminatory treatment from the government and society as they
\nwere regarded as rebels against the state. Some even lost their
\njobs.<\/p>\n
After former strongman Soeharto fell from grace in May 1998,
\npressures mounted for the National Commission on Human Rights
\n(Komnas HAM) to conduct a thorough investigation into the
\nincident and for the government to pay compensation to the
\nvictims.<\/p>\n
In September 2001, 86 relations of the victims signed an
\nislah, a traditional Islamic reconciliation agreement, with the
\nmilitary officers in command at the time of the incident.<\/p>\n
They included former Armed Forces chief Beny Moedani, former
\nJakarta Military Commander Try Sutrisno, and former North Jakarta
\nmilitary commander Brig. Gen. R. Butar-Butar. The three have been
\ncharged as suspects by the Attorney General's Office.<\/p>\n
During the islah, the military figures agreed to found the
\nPenerus Bangsa Foundation to take charge of supporting the
\nfamilies of the Tanjung Priok victims.<\/p>\n
Another relative of Amir Biki, Arief Biki, who is now a member
\nof the People's Consultative Assembly, signed the agreement along
\nwith Amir Biki's wife, Dewi Wardah.<\/p>\n
According to Beni, the islah was only a maneuver by the
\nmilitary to sink the case.<\/p>\n
\"I don't blame the family, who received Rp 2.5 million in
\ncompensation. It's their decision based on their needs. But we
\nwill still continue to fight for the restoration of our good
\nnames,\" Beni said.<\/p>\n
Beni, who is also the younger brother of Amir Biki, warned
\nthat the rights tribunal would be under domestic public and
\ninternational scrutiny and that the government should demonstrate
\nits determination to bring to justice those responsible for the
\nshootings.<\/p>\n
Beni also said that he and his fellow victims expected little
\nfrom the rights tribunal, but that they were interested in having
\ntheir names rehabilitated.<\/p>\n
\"I don't want to prejudice the outcome nor have high
\nexpectations as regards the tribunal. Better to view it with a
\n\"nothing to loose\" attitude,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"As long as there is a good will (from the government), these
\nproblems can be resolved (by the tribunal). But if all of this is
\njust mere gab ... well, what can I say?.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/little-expected-from-rights-tribunal-1447893297",
"image": ""
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