Activist testifies he was tortured

Activist testifies he was tortured

JAKARTA (JP): Political activist Pius Lustrilanang told the
National Commission on Human Rights on Monday that he was beaten,
electrocuted and kept blindfold for two months after being
kidnapped by a group of unidentified men.

"I am telling you this at the risk of death," Pius told a
meeting held to gather information about the recent disappearance
of a number of activists who have led or been involved in some
anti-government protests.

The secretary-general of SIAGA, a loose association of
supporters of government critics Megawati Soekarnoputri and Amien
Rais, told commission members Albert Hasibuan, Clementino dos
Reis Amaral and Maj. Gen. (ret) Samsudin that he had been
abducted at gunpoint in front of the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital
in Central Jakarta on Feb. 4 and released on April 3.

He said he was forced into a gray Toyota Corolla sedan with
three people inside, and taken to a location somewhere between
Jakarta and Bogor in a journey that took approximately 45
minutes.

During his absence, Pius said he was kept blindfold and hand-
cuffed at all times, except when asked to identify pictures and
write statements. He did not see the faces of any of his
abductors because they wore masks.

"They asked me if I went to a meeting in South Jakarta which
was also attended by Megawati. When I told them I did not they
gave me electric shocks on my arms and legs." Pius said.

"This treatment went on for quite some time, until I gave in
and provided them with the answer they wanted," Pius told the
commission.

Pius said he was kicked and beaten whenever his abductors were
unhappy with his response to questions about which meetings he
had attended and his links to a number of government critics and
non-governmental organizations, including the outlawed Democratic
People's Party (PRD).

Pius was shown pictures of Megawati and other people and asked
if he recognized them.

Pius said he was only interrogated on the first and third days
of his captivity. "From the third day onward, they kept me in a
cell until they released me in April," Pius said.

Pius said that after the interrogation on the first day, he
was forced into an open water tank inside his windowless cell,
and was kicked in the head when he did not immediately comply.

His captors then pushed him down until the water reached his
nose, and again kicked him repeatedly in the head. "I thought
that I was going to die," he said, before breaking into tears.

Pius said there were five other cells at the location where he
had been held. During his captivity he had the opportunity to
talk to the cells' occupants, who were the other missing
activists.

Pius said they were Rahardjo Waluyo Djati, 28, and Faisol
Riza, 24, -- both from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta --
and Herman Hendrawan, 27, a student from Airlangga University in
Surabaya.

The three have been missing since March 12, when they were
known to be in Jakarta.

However, Munir from the Commission for Missing Persons and
Victims of Violence (Kontras) told a media conference later on
Monday that the three were returned to their families on Sunday.

Pius said he also talked from inside his cell to two other
activists, Yani Avri and Sonny, who are still missing, and Desmon
J. Mahesa from the Nusantara Legal Aid Foundation and Haryanto
Taslam of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), who have
recently reappeared.

Military

Commission member Samsudin said there had definitely been a
violation of Pius' rights because he was taken against his will
and abused.

"The commission will report this to Jakarta Police
Headquarters," he said, adding that he believed it was low-
ranking security agents who kidnapped Pius.

"I'm sure the kidnapping was not ordered by top security
policy makers," Samsudin said. He also said the kidnappers'
methods were familiar to him because of his experience in the
military.

Pius said he was released on the condition that he would not
tell anyone, especially the media, about his experiences. He said
his abductors had threatened to kill him if he did.

"If we don't find you in a week, we'll find you in a month,"
Pius quoted one captor as saying. "We are very patient."

Besides Sonny and Yani, at least two other activists -- Bimo
Petrus and Suyat -- are still missing, Kontras reported on Monday.

Another student activist and PRD member, Andi Arief, 27, who
was kidnapped last month, turned up in National Police custody
last week. He is now being held in the Jakarta Police detention
center.

Separately, Minister of Justice Muladi called for an official
explanation of the disappearances of the activists from the Armed
Forces. (byg/edt)