House backs amnesty for all political prisoners
House backs amnesty for all political prisoners
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives (DPR) is seeking national amnesty for all political prisoners across the country, House deputy speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno said on Thursday.
"The House opposes the government policy of restricting amnesty and remission to only one group of political prisoners. It is really unfair because a lot more political prisoners are still serving their sentences in many prisons, including one on Nusakambangan Island," he said in a meeting with about 60 recently released political prisoners.
Nusakambangan penitentiary has become a home to heavyweight criminals.
He said the House had declined the latest list of 90 political prisoners whom the government proposed as amnesty recipients because of the discriminative policy.
"We welcome the government's intention to release the political prisoners, but we also want the release of those who were jailed either for their alleged involvement in the Sept. 30, 1965 abortive coup or their links to the banned PKI," he said.
PKI refers to the Indonesian Communist Party, which was blamed for masterminding the 1965 coup.
The list of prospective amnesty recipients consists of 70 East Timorese political prisoners, 15 people involved in various subversion cases in Aceh and Lampung and five members of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), including its chairman Budiman Sudjatmiko. The PRD executives were sent to jail following the government-backed forcible takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) from Megawati Soekarnoputri's supporters on July 27, 1996.
Hundreds of political prisoners were released during the 15 months of former president B.J. Habibie's administration.
The newly amended 1945 Constitution requires the president to consult the House before giving amnesty and abolition to political prisoners.
Joppie Lasut, a spokesman for the ex-political prisoners, told the House thousands of political prisoners were jailed during former president Soeharto's 32-year authoritarian rule and are still serving their terms.
He also said many self-exiled Soeharto critics refused to return home for fear of the military.
"We want the House to establish a work team to seek their release and to repatriate those who are still living overseas because most of them are above 50 years of age," he said.
Joppie, a former reporter of the Voice of America (VOA) radio, was sentenced to jail in Manado, North Sulawesi, by the former New Order regime for his involvement in the student demonstration in 1974, popularly known as Malari. He was released in August.
The group of former political prisoners lodged a petition which urges the release of all political prisoners regardless of their case. They also demanded the phasing-out of lists of wanted people implicated with past underground activities.
The petition says under the national reconciliation movement, all political prisoners must be freed and their civilian rights must also be reinstated.
The ex-political prisoners also urged the government to investigate Soeharto and his family for their alleged corruption and demanded they return the wealth they amassed during his 32- year tenure.
"All the wealth should be given to all former political prisoners in compensation for material losses they suffered during their prison terms," said Isharyanto, who was just released after serving 32 years in prison for his alleged involvement in the 1965 abortive coup. (rms)