Attorney General's Office probes T. Priok rights abuses
Attorney General's Office probes T. Priok rights abuses
JAKARTA (JP): State prosecutors decided on Monday to continue
their investigation into the 1984 Tanjung Priok incident, while
awaiting the establishment of a joint investigating team on human
rights abuses which would eventually take over the case.
Attorney General's Office spokesman Muljohardjo said the 40-
member team of prosecutors summoned four witnesses to testify on
Monday, but only one person attended.
Muljohardjo said the witness testified that he attended a
meeting to recite verses from the Koran on Sept. 12, 1984 on Jl.
Sindang, North Jakarta.
The preacher during the meeting, Amir Biki, reportedly spoke
of inciting support for the release of four people being detained
at the district military command's office.
There is no immediate information about when the three absent
witnesses would be summoned again, however prosecutors have
already scheduled another three witnesses to be questioned on
Tuesday.
According to Muljohardjo, the decision to proceed with
investigations was reached after a meeting between prosecutors,
the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas Ham) and the
National Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
(Kontras) last week.
Muljohardjo said prosecutors would begin investigating the
case because members for the joint investigating are still being
selected.
Once the team is formed, prosecutors will hand over the
investigation.
"If the joint team finds the testimonies and information
gathered by the prosecutors insufficient, the team can repeat the
investigation," Muljohardjo told journalists.
The Attorney General's Office began an investigation into the
case based on an inquiry report by Komnas Ham, but then ceased
inquiries after alleged victims and relatives of the Tanjung
Priok incident demanded a more credible joint team investigate
the case, consisting of experts and public figures.
However the establishment of the joint team has been dogged by
delays.
Previous governments have claimed that the Sept. 12, 1984
clash was caused following provocative lectures at the Tanjung
Priok Rawa Badak Mosque, by preachers criticizing the government.
Komnas Ham said in its report that there were 33 known
fatalities in the incident, including 14 people whose identities
remain unknown, and a Chinese-Indonesian family of eight and
their servant who burned to death when their house was set on
fire.
The report also states that at least 55 people were injured
during the incident. (bby)