Bring them back home, dead or alive
Revealing the truth behind the recent kidnapping of political activists and ensuring that innocent Indonesian citizens will never again be abducted and tortured in their own country is crucial to restoring trust in the nation's government. The families of the missing persons desperately want their loved ones back and are ambivalent to the debate on how best to bring those responsible to justice. In this edition The Jakarta Post recaps on the story so far and summarizes the latest developments in the scandal which has caused an international outcry.
JAKARTA (JP): "The (military) unit involved has already been identified and the kidnappers detained. But where are our sons?"
This question was shouted at Military Police Commander Maj. Gen. Syamsu Djaluddin by D. Utomo Rahardjo, who was unhappy with the officer's explanation of his son's fate.
His son is Petrus Bima Anugerah -- one of 12 political activists still listed as missing by the independent Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras). Nine others who were also kidnapped have since reappeared.
Syamsu, a tough looking general, had a hard time answering a barrage of emotional questions fired at him by relatives of the missing people at his office on July 22.
The general was unable to report any progress in the search for the missing people. Utomo, after grumbling aloud that he was tired of coming to Jakarta from his hometown of Malang, East Java, walked out of the room in a show of anger.
Syamsu's assurances that the investigation was still in progress did little to satisfy the others who remained anxiously seated cradling pictures of their loved ones.
They were not impressed by Syamsu's promise to bring the soldiers allegedly involved in the abductions to justice, regardless of their rank.
"Just tell us the truth ... Even if they (the activists) are dead, injured or disabled, we'll accept the truth," said Kontras chairman Munir, who accompanied the grieving relatives.
As of yesterday, the whereabouts of the 12 remained a mystery. Rumors that they are dead and have been buried somewhere in the Thousand Islands, just north of Jakarta have been circulating.
Headed by Syamsu, the investigation team visited the headquarters of the military Special Forces (Kopassus) in Cijantung, East Jakarta, where the activists are believed to have been detained and tortured. They were told that all the activists had been released.
Concern about the fate of those still missing people was raised by activist Pius Lustrilanang when he returned from a whirlwind overseas tour on July 12 undertaken to attract international attention to the violation of human rights in Indonesia.
Pius, who was abducted on Feb. 4 and released on April 2, set the world on fire by revealing his kidnap ordeal to the press and the National Commission on Human Rights, despite having been threatened with death if he did.
His courage and determination to expose the truth inspired other kidnap victims -- Desmond J. Mahesa, Rahardjo Waluyo Djati and Andi Arief -- to go public with their accounts of detention and torture and the motive behind their abductions.
Abductions occurred in Jakarta, Lampung, Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java. In its latest edition, Forum biweekly lists 42 kidnap victims in the whole of Indonesia. Many (no official number is available) have been released and one person was found dead in Central Java.
Wiji Thukul, a Democratic People's Party (PRD) activist from Surakarta, has been missing for the longest period of time. He disappeared on July 27, 1996 and his whereabouts still remain a mystery.
Activists have charged that the military is dragging its feet in the investigation. However, military investigators already have one essential clue which should help to unravel the mystery shrouding the kidnapping: Kopassus has admitted its involvement and 11 of its personnel have been detained.
Furthermore, Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subiyanto, Kopassus commander when the kidnappings took place, has openly stated that he is prepared to take responsibility for the policy that has tarnished the government's image both at home and abroad.
The military investigation team is also looking into the possible involvement of officers from other military units such as the regional military commands and intelligence operatives.
On Thursday Munir and relatives of the missing persons met Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto and asked him to step up pressure for a more speedy investigation.
"We also urged the security authorities not to resort to violence against activists which they may still be holding in captivity," he told journalists after the meeting.
Munir revealed that volunteers supporting the missing persons' relatives had been subjected to intimidation.
He also said he was strongly opposed to the military's plan to try the detained Kopassus officers before a large amount of evidence relating to the case has been collected and while 12 other activists have yet to be accounted for.
The military, anxious to show that it is taking the case seriously, had been talking about forming an honorary council to deal with senior officers implicated in the scandal.
Besides Prabowo, other senior officers under suspicion include Col. Chairawan, the Kopassus Group IV Commander who has been implicated in the abduction of Andi Arief, an active member of the Indonesian Students Solidarity for Democracy (SMID).
The plan to set up a council has already drawn criticism. It has been interpreted as a sign that the ABRI leadership intends to settle the problem internally and that senior officers allegedly involved in the abduction will be spared the shame of facing a military tribunal.
Kontras is demanding that the investigation be expanded to include former president Soeharto, former ABRI commander Feisal Tanjung, Prabowo's successor Maj. Gen. Muchdi, former Jakarta military commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and former National Police's chief detective Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi.
During Thursday's meeting, Gen. Wiranto took offense at comments made by M.M. Billah, a Kontras activist who insinuated that the kidnappers must have a strong bargaining position if even the ABRI leadership was unable to take decisive action to solve the case.
Wiranto insisted that he had no idea of the missing activists' whereabouts and denied the abduction of activists was official ABRI policy.
The complexity of the case has led many observers to conclude that the abductions involved various military units and had the blessing of top ABRI leaders at the time.
The unfolding scandal has been used by the international community to mount pressure on crisis-battered Indonesia to improve its human rights record.
Last week Washington urged Habibie to conduct an impartial investigation of the case. Habibie is reportedly anxious to meet U.S. president Bill Clinton in a bid to improve his international standing.
A similar message was issued by donors grouped in the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI), which pledged fresh loans worth US$8 billion during their meeting in Paris last week.
ABRI, currently battling to restore an image badly damaged by this and other allegations of human rights abuse, has put its reputation on the line. (pan)