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)