City to assist grave exhumation of Priok victims
City to assist grave exhumation of Priok victims
JAKARTA (JP): The City Administration is ready to assist the
National Commission on Human Rights with its plan to exhume
graves believed to contain victims of the bloody 1984 incident in
Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, an official said on Tuesday.
Deputy Governor on Public Affairs Djailani said he had yet to
receive a formal notification over the plan to exhume the graves,
but stressed that the administration would support the plan.
"We are ready to help the rights commission by setting
procedural guidelines for the implementation of the plan," he
told The Jakarta Post at City Hall.
Djailani stressed the need to hold meetings in order to
discuss the detailed procedures with the parties involved, such
as the rights commission, before initiating the exhumation
process.
A member of the rights commission, locally termed Komnas HAM,
Maj. Gen. (ret) Koesparmono Irsan revealed on Aug. 11 the plan to
exhume eight of the 22 graves, which are believed to contain the
remains of victims killed during the bloody 1984 Tanjung Priok
incident.
The commission, he said, planned to start exhuming these
graves later in August. However, it has yet to decide on a
precise date.
The decision was made after a team from the commission
succeeded in obtaining detailed information on the remains.
Koesparmono added that the team has secured the approval of
Governor Sutiyoso to exhume the graves, as required by a city
regulation.
The Sept. 12, 1984 incident concerns clashes between civilians
and military personnel which allegedly erupted following
emotionally charged sermons at Tanjung Priok's Rawa Badak Mosque
which were delivered by preachers who were reportedly criticizing
the government.
The commission stressed that the remains of the victims would
constitute important evidence in helping it to complete its
findings so that they could be submitted to the Attorney
General's Office.
The commission's preliminary findings on the Tanjung Priok
incident, which was buried for years under former president
Soeharto's rule, have already been handed over to the Attorney
General's Office.
The military claimed 23 people were killed and 60 were injured
during the incident. Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said that they saw a
truck loaded with charred corpses.
Djailani said prior preparations were needed so as to ensure a
smooth exhumation process, stressing that such preparations would
cover the legal aspects and technical procedures for the
exhumations.
"We need to know how the plan will develop and the proposed
locations where the exhumations will be carried out," he said.
"We do not have that information in detail yet," Djailani
added. (lup)