Mid-afternoon darkness<\/p>\n
As might have been expected, Pius Lustrilanang's disclosure of
\nthe ordeal he suffered at the hands of his abductors during the
\ntwo months of his disappearance, and subsequent hurried departure
\nfor the Netherlands only hours later, has created waves and drawn
\na multitude of reactions, both in this country and abroad. Many
\nIndonesians deeply sympathize with the dissident activist and
\napprove of his actions; others fear that he will use his stay
\nabroad to start a crusade against the present Indonesian regime,
\nthereby further worsening this country's human rights record in
\ninternational fora.<\/p>\n
Certainly, there is grounds for expecting the latter. As has
\nbeen reported by the press, aside from seeking refuge in Europe,
\nPius also intends to talk about his experiences on human rights
\nplatforms in Holland, Germany, Britain and the United States,
\nwhere he is certain to find accommodating ears. None of this will
\nhelp improve Indonesia's already blemished human rights record
\nabroad and might possibly even lead to the censuring of this
\ncountry by the international community.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, it is difficult under the circumstances to
\nblame the dissident for deciding to seek refuge in a country
\noutside that of his own. For many of us, the revelations he made
\nbefore the National Commission on Human Rights do indeed paint a
\nrather grizzly Kafkaesque picture of what life can be like for
\npeople whose views differ from those of the people in power.<\/p>\n
By his admission, Pius was abducted at gunpoint in the middle
\nof the afternoon on Feb. 4 in front of Cipto Mangunkusumo General
\nHospital. He was forced into a gray Toyota Corolla sedan in which
\nthree men were waiting. He was handcuffed and blindfolded and
\ndriven to a place \"somewhere between Jakarta and Bogor\", where he
\nwas kept in a windowless cell for two months, handcuffed and
\nblindfolded. During this time he was interrogated and repeatedly
\nkicked and beaten and given electric shocks. On the first day of
\nhis interrogation he was immersed in a water tank and asked
\nquestions and kicked in the head when he failed to answer
\nsatisfactorily. He did not see the faces of his abductors because
\nthey always wore masks.<\/p>\n
The apparent ease with which Pius was abducted from a public
\nplace as crowded as Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in the
\nmiddle of the afternoon -- plus the fact that his abductors could
\nkeep him locked up for two months without the security forces
\nbeing able to, or even appearing seriously trying, to find him,
\nand the fact that there are many more activists who disappeared
\napparently under similar circumstances -- makes it appear as if
\nsecret kidnaping squads are moving among us, impervious to the
\nlaw and unknown to the authorities. Under the circumstances one
\ncould forgive dissidents for not having too much confidence in
\nthe assurances given by the authorities that their personal
\nsafety is guaranteed.<\/p>\n
Intentionally or not, the description which Pius gave us of
\nhis ordeal was one of life in a country ruled by force instead of
\nthe law. We do believe that the Armed Forces are sincere when
\nthey say that they did not order the disappearances and that
\nabductions are not part of their policies. Still, it is in the
\nfield of their professional responsibility to prevent, or at
\nleast trace, such disappearances, to find the abductors and to
\nhold them accountable for their deeds.<\/p>\n
Under present circumstances only a full, thorough and open
\ninvestigation can help restore the feeling of security and
\nconfidence among Indonesians, including those who feel duty-bound
\nto express views that differ from those expressed by the
\ngovernment. No less important, such measures would also
\neffectively counterbalance any unfounded negative accusations
\nthat are made abroad made against the Indonesian government.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mid-afternoon-darkness-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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