Fist lady gives award to mother of missing activist

Fist lady gives award to mother of missing activist

JAKARTA (JP): First Lady Sinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid
honored the courage and sacrifice of women victims of political
intrigue on Friday as she presented an award to Toeti Koto, the
mother of missing Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-
Perjuangan) activist Yani Afri.

"The award is also for Indonesian women who are playing an
important role during the current economic crisis, helping to
provide clothes, food and home for their families," Sinta said in
a ceremony at Grand Hyatt Hotel here.

She hopes the award is also a recognition for women who
actively campaign against violence, while men selfishly fight
each other in the name of pride and religion.

She cited women in Ambon, Maluku working together without
discrimination to help victims of the violence there.

"I hope many more women get awards for their struggles," Sinta
said, praising the award organized by Jurnal Perempuan Foundation
(YJP).

According to the foundation, Yani Afri went missing after a
bloody attack on the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta on July 27, 1996.

Yani, better known as Rian, worked as a public transportation
driver and was 27 when he disappeared.

Since then, Toeti, 50, has been working with the Commission
for Missing persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) to discover
the fate of her youngest son.

Toeti, who earns a living from a small stall at her home in
Cilincing, North Jakarta, along with other parents of missing
persons have set up the Parents of Missing Person Union (IKOHI).

"I'm not sure if my son will return. But I'm struggling for
justice so other people will not suffer like me," she said.

The government announced after the attack, that only five
people died during the takeover of the headquarters, however,
many believe that more were killed.

The bloody take over, which occurred after a government backed
congress replaced Megawati Soekarnoputri with Surjadi, sparked
mass riots in the Central Jakarta area.

Surjadi and other PDI activists are now being detained by the
National Police for their alleged involvement in the bloody
attack.

But the Foundation's claim that Yani disappeared due to the
raid at the PDI headquarters contradicts previous reports which
said that Yani and his friend Sonny disappeared after being
released by the North Jakarta Military District.

They were allegedly interrogated about suspicions of
involvement in a bomb plot targeting the Kelapa Gading Mall in
North Jakarta during the election campaign period in 1997.

After being detained for one night at the military compound,
the two were reportedly picked up by four unknown men outside the
military facility. They have not been seen since.

According to Kontras at least 13 families still do not know
the fate of their missing sons, daughters, husbands, brothers,
sisters or fathers.

All the disappearances are suspected to be politically
connected.

In addition to the award, the Foundation also launched during
Friday's ceremony a book entitled State and Violence Against
Women which was completed in cooperation with the Asia
Foundation. The book features several female writers scripting
the fate of women across the country. (jun)