Mourning the innocent victims of terrorism<\/p>\n
Kornelius Purba, The Jakarta Post, Staff Writer, Jakarta,
\nkorpur@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
Tutty, Rasyidah and the parents of Chandra Tirta Wijaya
\nunderstand very well the threat of terrorism and have much more
\nempathy for the victims of violence than Indonesian political
\nleaders who boast that Indonesia is a terrorist-free nation. They
\nare the real victims of terrorism and violence, begging for
\njustice but only receiving lip service.<\/p>\n
To Tutty, Rasyidah and the parents of Chandra, one might ask
\nhow they can endure the pain after losing their beloved son,
\ndaughter or parents, while trying to understand that they will
\nnever return. To them, the wound is more painful in knowing that
\ntheir loved ones were innocent victims. Neighbors and friends
\ncome for a while to console you. But after that you must bear the
\ngrief alone, most likely until the end of your life.<\/p>\n
This feeling is strongly felt in the United States, especially
\nby those who lost their husbands, wives, children, relatives or
\nbest friends in the Sept. 11 human tragedy. The nation will
\ncommemorate the catastrophe to remember the victims on Wednesday
\n(U.S. time).<\/p>\n
Thousands of innocent victims were killed when terrorists
\ncrashed two planes into the World Trade Center in New York and
\nanother passenger plane into the Pentagon on Sept. 11 last year.
\nThere is not one single religion that teaches its followers to
\nkill other people, moreover innocent ones. These acts of terror
\nwere a blatant humiliation of the most basic principle of
\nhumanity.<\/p>\n
President George W. Bush has worked very hard to bring the
\nterrorists or the people behind the unbelievable massacre to
\njustice. World leaders sent their condolences, and President
\nMegawati was the first leader from a predominantly Muslim nation
\nto go to Washington to offer the nation's cooperation in
\ncombating terrorism.<\/p>\n
What about Indonesia's efforts to enforce the law against
\nterrorism here at home? For five years, Tutty has not given up
\nthe search for her son Yani Avri, who went missing in April 1997
\nafter the military allegedly abducted him along with several
\nanti-Soeharto activists. Many of them were returned alive, such
\nas legislator Haryanto Taslam. Tutty's son was only a bus
\nconductor and she does not understand why Yani was abducted.<\/p>\n
\"If he is still alive, please return my son to me. And if he
\nis dead, please return his corpse so I can bury him properly,\"
\nthe elderly woman said, repeating her appeals to the military and
\npolice on public occasions. Her tears mean nothing for those
\nresponsible for her misery.<\/p>\n
Rasyidah, 24, a resident of Mutong in Pidie regency in Aceh,
\nhas traveled abroad, including to Japan, to appeal for
\ninternational help in ending the suffering of the Acehnese from
\nthe atrocities there. She knows that Indonesian politicians, most
\nof whom are Muslim like her, are indifferent to the fate of
\ndevout Muslims in the rebellious province.<\/p>\n
At a conference held in Tokyo last year, Rasyidah testified
\nthat in March 1998, she along with her mother, her elder sister
\nand baby niece were tortured by the military near her village.
\nShe also lost her father in 1992 after the military accused him
\nof being a supporter of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Her mother
\nis still missing.<\/p>\n
\"I was raped in front of my mother and my elder sister. The
\nsoldiers electrocuted my breasts and vagina,\" Rasyidah said in
\nher testimony.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, former classmates of the late Chandra Tirta Wijaya
\nhave not been able to contact Chandra's parents since his tragic
\ndeath in January last year. After two weeks in a coma, the 16-
\nyear-old boy succumbed to death at St. Carolus Hospital. He was
\nthe victim of a bomb that exploded in front of the St. Yosef
\nChurch in East Jakarta, moments after he celebrated Christmas
\nmass with his parents on Dec. 24.<\/p>\n
The Chinese-Indonesian family sold their house in East Jakarta
\nand many family friends do not know where they live now.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe they are still too traumatized over their son's death
\nor they want to forget that terrible moment,\" said one of
\nChandra's friends.<\/p>\n
Americans have a strong government with the technology, money,
\npower and everything it needs to punish the perpetrators of the
\nattacks against the States. They have the right to uphold
\njustice, but we hope that they will not victimize innocent
\nvictims who know nothing about the devil's deeds.<\/p>\n
The U.S. government has asked other countries, often while
\nswallowing what they preach about human rights values, to
\ncooperate with them in eradicating terrorism. Malaysian Prime
\nMinister Mahathir Mohamad won back U.S. favor after arresting
\nalleged Islamic fundamentalist groups in Malaysia, many of whom
\nwere his political enemies.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, victims continue to fall in Aceh, Poso, Maluku
\nand Papua and in other places, following the government's
\ninability to stop state terrorist acts and human rights abuses.
\nThousands of Muslims and Christians have killed each other in
\nMaluku and Central Sulawesi, while thousands of people lost their
\nlives in Aceh.<\/p>\n
These victims and their families may also hope that the U.S.
\nwill help them end the violence and bring those guilty of rights
\nabuses to court.<\/p>\n
Americans are not alone. Civilized nations and their people
\nshare the hope that terrorism will no longer be allowed to exist.
\nHowever, they are much luckier than Indonesians. The U.S.
\ngovernment has done much and will continue to do more to protect
\nits citizens. In Indonesia, the victims of terrorism bear the
\nburden alone and are lucky if they are not subjected to the
\nblame-the-victim tendency, which is common here.<\/p>\n
As John Lennon used to sing in Imagine: \"You may say I'm a
\ndreamer\". Truth and justice for Indonesian victims of terrorism,
\nit seems, can only be imagined.<\/p>",
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