'Intrepid' Pius greeted like hero

JAKARTA (JP): Pius Lustrilanang, an abducted activist who fled abroad seeking safety after revealing his harrowing experience, returned to a hero's welcome here yesterday amid revelations that the abductions may have been the work of certain Army special force (Kopassus) personnel.

About 50 people gathered at the international arrival gate of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport yesterday afternoon to greet the 34-year-old activist who was hoisted up onto someone's shoulders and paraded across the terminal.

Also present were his mother Jamilus, his lawyer Hendardi of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) and playwright Ratna Sarumpaet who with Pius co-chaired SIAGA, a loose association of supporters for Megawati Soekarnoputri and Amien Rais.

The noisy welcome drew much attention as people flocked to see which famous personality was arriving.

"Who's coming?" onlookers asked.

To a swarm of journalists, Pius said he was returning to help resolve the case of activists being abducted.

"I want to settle the case here, in my own country. I've been kidnapped, I know how painful it is to be kidnapped. I know there are still many friends who are still missing. I will fight for their return," he said.

Pius was the first released kidnapped activist to go public with accounts of his ordeal. He testified that he was severely tortured along with several other fellow activists.

His testimony on April 28 was a watershed in the investigations into the abductions. Not all of those who were abducted and then released were willing to come forward with their stories.

A day after going public with his story, Pius fled abroad in search of safety. Until his return yesterday he had been in the Netherlands.

The Armed Forces last week confirmed suspicions that Kopassus personnel may have been involved. Five officers will be court- martialled and another two are being intensively questioned.

Rights groups here claim that 12 abducted activists are still missing.

Pius said he felt secure about returning now and that his departure was justified given the shroud of secrecy and inconducive climate still prevalent at the time.

"My security is now guaranteed by the whole Indonesian society," he said.

Commenting on the recent revelations of the case, Pius quickly stated his belief that former president Soeharto was involved.

"I believe there are more institutions involved and from the beginning I've believed that Soeharto knew a lot about this case. Because, without political support, no (military) unit would dare to do such silly thing," he remarked.

He spoke ominously about several of those who were still missing, fearing that they were probably dead.

"I suspect that five of them -- Deddy Hamdun, Noval S. Alkatiri, Sonny, Yanni Alfrie and Ismail -- are dead," he said.

Pius admitted that he had no real proof to support his suspicions but questioned why none of them had contacted their relatives or friends upon their release.

Pius' return marks the continued trickling in of Indonesians who had been forced to flee abroad or those who could not return because of their criticism and opposition of the rule of former president Soeharto.

Over the weekend another former Indonesian student also expressed his joy of arriving home a few days earlier after being banished for two decades,

Pipit Rochiyat Kartawidjaja, 49, thought he could never return after "losing" his passport 11 years ago.

"It's nice to be home after almost 20 years abroad and being unable to go back to the country where I was born," he told The Jakarta Post Saturday.

Accompanied by his German wife of Indonesian descent Reni Patria Isa and their 16-year-old daughter Indrawati, Pipit will be in the country for a one-month holiday before leaving for Germany again on Aug. 13.

"My wife and I need to go back to work, while my daughter still needs to continue her studies at high school," he said.

Pipit "lost" his citizenship in August 1987 when the Indonesian Consulate General in the former East German capital of East Berlin revoked his passport.

To this day Pipit does not know precisely why his passport was revoked.

"Probably because of my outspokenness in criticizing the Indonesian government's policies during my studies in Germany," he said.

He first arrived in Germany in 1971 and went to study at the Berlin Technische Universiteit the following year. Despite having been offered German citizenship in 1991, Pipit refused, confident that he would regain his Indonesian citizenship one day.

A Bandung native, Pipit said he had almost no difficulty when he approached the Indonesian Consulate General to discuss returning home.

Pipit, who now works for a German state-owned company in Brandenburg, said he would continue working in Germany until such a time that he could permanently live in Indonesia with his family.

"Probably after my daughter finishes her high school in three years from now," he said. (aan/imn)