Human rights activists targeted in terror attacks

Human rights activists targeted in terror attacks

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Human rights activists were cautioned on Wednesday of what
they called an escalation of terror against them after dozens of
people attacked the office building of the Commission for Missing
Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Jl. Mendut in
Central Jakarta.

One Kontras staff member, Edwin Partogi, was beaten by the
attackers, who also vandalized property belonging to the human
rights organization. Kontras founder Munir was inside the office
when the sudden raid took place, but he managed to escape unhurt.

Edwin was rushed to nearby St. Carolus hospital.

Police came minutes after the incident took place, capturing
seven key suspects in Pondok Kopi, East Jakarta, in an ensuing
chase. The suspects face charges of causing damage to personal
property.

Rights activists gathered at the Kontras office later in the
day to lend moral support to Kontras members. They said the "act
of terror" would not hamper their commitment to the promotion and
protection of human rights.

"This has not been the first crime aimed at terrorizing human
rights activists in the country. Other human rights organizations
have fallen victim to these crimes, which have never been
thoroughly investigated," the chairman of the Indonesian Human
Rights Research and Advocacy Association, Hendardi, read out in a
joint statement.

Also present were lawyers Todung Mulya Lubis and Johnson
Panjaitan, political observer Arbi Sanit, rights activist Karlina
Leksono of Kalyana Mitra and chairperson of the National
Commission on Human Rights for Women Kemala Chandra Kirana.

Kontras has become the target of violence over the past few
years. In 2000 a grenade blast damaged several cars parked in the
front yard of its office. Last year unidentified men placed a
bomb at Munir's family residence in Malang, East Java. Also in
2001, the car belonging to Jhonson was shot, while it was parked
at the Kontras office.

In the latest attack, the mob smashed eight computer terminals
and four printers and looted boxes of dried food, instant
noodles, milk and mineral water. The basic needs were to be
donated to flood victims.

Prior to the incident, some 200 people claiming to be
relatives of four members of the military-backed Muslim
vigilantes (Pamswakarsa) who were lynched by a mob protesting the
Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly in November
1998, came to protest "Kontras' systematic discrimination at the
expense of Muslims".

They said Kontras paid too much attention to the shooting of
dozens of students and residents in 1998 and 1999, known as the
Trisakti, Semanggi I and II incidents, which allegedly involved
the military and police top brass, including former Armed Forces
chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto.

"We cannot tolerate Kontras who has terrorized Pak Wiranto,"
one of the people yelled before breaking in the office and
smashing windows and glass panels.

Separately, Wiranto denied his involvement in the incident and
said he would sue those who accused him of masterminding it.

Wiranto is one of several officers summoned for the inquiry
probing the Trisakti and Semanggi incidents.

The parents of the victims came to pick Wiranto up at his
Simprug home on Monday to face the inquiry, but he was not there.

"I've been told that a demonstration took place at my house. I
heard it was organized by Kontras. Many legal experts deplored
this, when legal issues become a personal matter. I've told my
friends not to make exaggerating reactions regarding this," he
said after visiting detained House of Representatives speaker,
Akbar Tandjung, at the Attorney General's Office.