Search for missing PDI activists sought<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Activists urged the National Commission on Human
\nRights yesterday to press the government to find the 23 people
\nallegedly still missing from last year's riots in the capital.<\/p>\n
About 20 activists of the Communication Forum for Eastern
\nIndonesian Youths, told the commission they were dismayed there
\nhad been no sign that the government would follow up the
\ncommission's recommendations.<\/p>\n
"The commission should tell the government not to disregard
\nthis case because it concerns human lives," Naur Karepesina, who
\nchairs the forum, told commission's secretary-general Baharrudin
\nLopa and member Soegiri.<\/p>\n
Naur said the forum wanted to make sure four of their fellows
\n-- Beethoven, Carolus, Heri Worotika, and Martin Paat -- who were
\namong the 23 reported missing by the commission, were found.<\/p>\n
The four, all eastern Indonesian youths supporting the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) leadership under Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, disappeared from the PDI headquarters during a
\nclash between Megawati's supporters and those of government-
\nbacked Soerjadi's on July 27 last year.<\/p>\n
In its findings published in October, the commission
\ncriticized the government for meddling in the PDI's internal
\naffairs, and said this had contributed to the riots that left
\nfive people dead and the 23 missing.<\/p>\n
Fragments of bullets were found in the body of one of the five
\nkilled, the commission said. This conflicted with the military's
\nassertion that not a single bullet had been fired in containing
\nthe unrest.<\/p>\n
The commission also said members of the security forces were
\ninvolved in the violent takeover of the PDI headquarters, the
\nincident that snowballed into the full-scale riots.<\/p>\n
The commission urged the government to investigate all the
\nperpetrators, including new PDI chairman Soerjadi, who had
\nordered the take over of the headquarters.<\/p>\n
Critics have accused the government of favoring Soerjadi in
\nthe handling of the aftermath of the July riots. Over 100
\nMegawati supporters have been prosecuted but no action has been
\ntaken against the hundreds of Soerjadi supporters who attacked
\nthe party office.<\/p>\n
In response to the youths' demand, Lopa said the commission
\nhad asked the government some time ago about the progress of the
\nfollow-up of its recommendations.<\/p>\n
Lopa said according to a statement made by Minister\/State
\nSecretary Moerdiono at the commissions last meeting with the
\ngovernment in December, "the findings are still being seriously
\nstudied by President Soeharto himself".<\/p>\n
"Just be patient and let's just wait and see how the
\ngovernment will follow up the commission's findings," he said.<\/p>\n
At the end of their meeting with the commission, the youths
\nexpressed their hope the commission would not yield to pressure
\nfrom "a third party" and would keep providing "shelter" to all
\npeople seeking justice. (08)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/search-for-missing-pdi-activists-sought-1447893297",
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