Activist seeks refuge in Holland

JAKARTA (JP): Political activist Pius Lustrilanang, who recently divulged that he was kidnapped and tortured by a gang of unidentified men, has sought peace of mind and physical safety in Holland, his lawyer said here yesterday.

"Pius has gone. He arrived in Amsterdam on Tuesday," Hendardi, the executive director of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), told journalists.

"He did not go to seek political asylum or to run away, but to seek psychological peace and because his personal safety was not guaranteed," Hendardi said. Pius claimed his abductors released him only after threatening to kill him if he discussed his plight publicly.

Pius, the secretary-general of SIAGA, a loose association of supporters of government critics Megawati Soekarnoputri and Amien Rais, told the National Commission on Human Rights on Monday that he had been abducted at gunpoint on Feb. 4 and detained for questioning in a cell until April 3.

Pius said he was beaten, given repeated electric shocks and even made to listen to Mustang radio with blaring sound while in captivity. He said he was threatened at gunpoint at least four times. The gun used to intimidate him was an FN pistol, he said.

But Pius did not know who had kidnapped him or where he was held.

According to Hendardi, Pius left for Holland because he felt insecure in Indonesia, despite assurances from senior military officers that no harm would come to activists who spoke about their abduction.

Hendardi pointed out that Pius' departure was facilitated by PBHI and the National Commission on Human Rights, and that there was no political assistance from foreign embassies.

Pius is one of several activists and opposition politicians who recently reappeared after going missing for several weeks.

According to the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, nine of those who went missing have reappeared and five are still missing.

The disappearances are currently being investigated by the human rights commission.

To date, only Pius has spoken publicly about his experience.

The Armed Forces have denied any involvement in the abductions.

Minister of Defense and Security Affairs/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto said "there has been no policy or order from ABRI to abduct certain individuals in the political arena".

He was quoted by Antara in Bandung, West Java, yesterday as saying that the Armed Forces was continuing with efforts to locate those still missing.

Andi Arief

Separately, Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. A. Wahab Mokodongan said the Armed Forces headquarters already knew which "parties" were responsible for the recent spate of disappearances.

"We have delivered our findings to the National Police Headquarters," he told reporters. He refused to go into detail or divulge the identity of those responsible. "Let the police conduct the investigation".

The international spotlight directed on the disappearance of the activists burned brighter yesterday as five foreign ambassadors from Austria, Great Britain, the Netherlands, the United States and the European Union met with Minister of Justice Muladi to seek an explanation.

Separately, Munir from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence told journalists that political activist Andi Arief reiterated he had only been handed over to National Police Headquarters on April 17, almost three weeks after he was abducted from his home in Bandarlampung on March 28.

Police claim that Andi has been in detention since March 28.

Andi, 27, an active member of the outlawed Democratic People's Party (PRD) was "found" last week in a cell at the National Police Headquarters.

Munir accompanied Andi's family to a meeting with him yesterday. On Saturday Andi was moved to Jakarta Police Headquarters.

Andi's father, M. Arief Mayhyam, 72, said his son told him that after being abducted in Bardarlampung he was taken by ferry from Bakauheni to Merak, and then overland to Jakarta.

Andi was taken to Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, and blindfolded. He was then driven for one and a half hours to an unknown destination and placed in a cell where he remained until being handed over to police on April 17.

While in captivity in his dark, windowless cell, Andi reportedly spoke to a number of other missing individuals, including Haryanto Taslam, a supporter of Megawati.

Meanwhile, Commander of the National Police Detective Corps Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi maintained yesterday that Andi had been in police custody all along and that the police had simply neglected to inform the public of his arrest.

"You have to understand that the police could not reveal all the facts for security reasons," Nurfaizi said.

Andi was arrested for his alleged involvement in January's bomb explosion in Tanah Tinggi, Central Jakarta. The Armed Forces linked the blast to the PRD and its alleged campaign to topple the government. (team)