Whereabout of missing activists still unknown<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The military disclaimed yesterday any knowledge
\nof the whereabouts of 12 political activists still missing, but
\nsaid the number of its men suspected of involvement in the
\nabductions and torture of activists had increased by one to 11.<\/p>\n
Head of the Armed Forces fact-finding team Maj. Gen. Syamsu
\nDjalal said the team had questioned Col. Chairawan, the chief of
\nthe Army's special force (Kopassus) Group IV on intelligence
\noperations, for alleged involvement in the abductions.<\/p>\n
However, one of the investigators, Col. Sudirman Panigoro,
\nsaid that Chairawan was not among the 11 suspects.<\/p>\n
\"The latest suspect is commander of the 'Lampung team', and he
\nis also from Kopassus,\" Sudirman told reporters after
\naccompanying Syamsu in meeting relatives of missing activists at
\nthe National Military Police Headquarters in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Sudirman was referring to the team who abducted activist Andi
\nArief in Lampung on March 28. Andi was handed over by his
\nabductors to the police on April 17 and released last week.<\/p>\n
When pressed for the suspect's rank, Sudirman only said: \"It
\ncould be a lieutenant colonel or a major.\"<\/p>\n
Sudirman said the ranks of the other 10 suspects were lower
\nthan the 11th suspect. He also said their dossiers would be
\ncompleted on Saturday. He did not say when the military tribunal
\nwould begin.<\/p>\n
Syamsu said yesterday the suspects could be charged under
\nseveral articles of the Criminal Code and the Military Criminal
\nCode which include cruelty, participation in a criminal act, an
\nact beyond the authority given them, or disobeying an
\ninstruction.<\/p>\n
Syamsu also agreed with Andi that a number of other military
\ninstitutions, including his own unit, might have been involved in
\nthe abductions.<\/p>\n
Andi said on Tuesday that there were at least two other forces
\nbesides Kopassus that were involved in the abductions.<\/p>\n
Syamsu said that members of the Jakarta Military Command, the
\nArmed Forces Intelligence Agency, the National Police and the
\nNational Military Police might have also been involved in the
\n\"process\" of the abductions.<\/p>\n
Also yesterday, Syamsu revealed the fact-finding team had
\nvisited Kopassus headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta -- which
\nhad allegedly been used as the detention site for activists -- to
\nsearch for the still missing activists. They did not find any
\none.<\/p>\n
\"Nobody is detained at that place anymore, so please be
\npatient,\" Syamsu told the relatives of the activists.<\/p>\n
\"Based on information we have gathered, there are some
\nactivists who have been released, but we are still checking on
\ntheir whereabouts and we will keep pursuing this,\" Syamsu added.<\/p>\n
The relatives demanded yesterday that Syamsu and the fact-
\nfinding team immediately find their loved ones. The relatives
\nwere accompanied by Munir of the Commission for Missing Persons
\nand Victims of Violence (Kontras).<\/p>\n
Syamsu said the suspects were questioned for their involvement
\nin the abductions of Andi, Nezar Patria, Aan Rusdiyanto and
\nMugiyanto.<\/p>\n
The last three were abducted from their apartment in Klender,
\nEast Jakarta, on March 12 and three days later were handed over
\nto the police. The three were released by the police last month.<\/p>\n
Minister of Defense and Security\/Armed Forces Commander Gen.
\nWiranto said last week the abductions were only \"procedural
\nviolations\" by the suspects as they went beyond their superior's
\ninstruction.<\/p>\n
He said the instruction was only to unveil a number of radical
\nactivities which were harmful to various government programs and
\nto people's safety.<\/p>\n
\"In the implementation, the Kopassus members acted beyond
\nappropriate procedures, including committing indisciplinary acts
\nand measures exceeding their superior's instruction,\" Wiranto
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Human rights groups and activists who reappeared after being
\nabducted flatly rejected Wiranto' statement. They charged the
\nabductions were a part of a systematic operation as they were
\nwell-organized and carried out by a number of military units.
\n(byg\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/whereabout-of-missing-activists-still-unknown-1447893297",
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