Whereabouts of missing activists still a mystery<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Mystery remains over the whereabouts of 14
\nmissing activists because the Armed Forces (ABRI), which has been
\nbattered by revelations of alleged serious human rights abuses,
\ncan no longer afford the disclosure of any past wrongdoing,
\naccording to a member of the Independent Commission for Missing
\nPersons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).<\/p>\n
Munir from Kontras told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that ABRI
\nwas in the midst of \"political difficulties\" regarding those who
\nare still missing.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI is still calculating the implications if it announces
\nthat there are a number of people among these 14 activists who
\nare already dead,\" Munir said.<\/p>\n
Analysts say that the image of ABRI, which celebrates its 53rd
\nanniversary on Monday, is at its lowest level, following
\nallegations of human rights abuses during the 32-year rule of
\nformer president Soeharto. Allegations include the killing of
\nmore than 780 people during military operations to quell
\nseparatist movements in Aceh in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n
Kontras has said that at least 24 activists have gone missing
\nsince April last year. Nine have resurfaced after being missing
\nfor several months and talked of abductions and torture during
\ndetention, one was found dead in May and the rest remain
\nunaccounted for.<\/p>\n
Amid mounting public pressure to find those still missing,
\nABRI announced the alleged involvement of the elite Army's
\nSpecial Force (Kopassus) members in the abductions of political
\nactivists in July.<\/p>\n
Minister of Security and Defense\/ABRI Chief Gen. Wiranto then
\ndischarged Soeharto's son-in-law and former Kopassus chief Lt.
\nGen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto and removed two senior Kopassus
\nofficers from active duty in August, for their involvement in the
\nabductions of political activists.<\/p>\n
Eleven other members of Kopassus are reportedly facing court-
\nmartial for their involvement in the abductions and torture of
\npolitical activists.<\/p>\n
Munir, however, has said that no military tribunal should be
\nheld until all of the missing activists reappear, as it would not
\nbe legally feasible to bring the officers to another trial for
\nthe same case, should further evidence be found later on.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said in August that the military did not know the
\nwhereabouts of these activists and promised to keep searching for
\nthem.<\/p>\n
\"I suggest that there is still an unsettled problem within
\nABRI which is hindering the search for the (missing) activists
\nand the prosecution of the suspects,\" Munir said.<\/p>\n
He however, refused to elaborate further.<\/p>\n
In an effort to seek international support to locate the
\nmissing activists, Kontras met with the United Nations (UN)
\nWorking Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in
\nGeneva, Switzerland, on Thursday to report the abductions of the
\npolitical activists.<\/p>\n
Rapporteurs of the Working Group receive reports from
\nindividuals and organizations and deal with the governments
\nconcerned in an attempt to clarify allegations and bring torture
\nand summary or arbitrary executions to an end.<\/p>\n
In the above instances, the UN can urgently intervene with
\ngovernments when the minimum international standards of fair
\ntrial and appeal appear not to have been met. (byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/whereabouts-of-missing-activists-still-a-mystery-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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