Kidnapped activists were killed: Team

Kidnapped activists were killed: Team

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A team set up by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas
HAM) to probe into the abductions of prodemocracy activists
during the regime of former dictator Soeharto has come to
conclusion that all the victims had died.

The team has also identified a number of suspects involved in
the kidnapping of the 12 activists -- mostly students -- during
the 1997-1998 period.

"We have determined that the cases can be categorized as a
gross human rights abuse. Also, we have identified the suspects,
including the masterminds," team member Martono said on Sunday.

However, he refused to disclose the number or names of the
suspects. Earlier, the team was told by witnesses that the
abduction victims had all been seen at military facilities.

Martono, also a legal expert from the East Java-based Surabaya
University, said the team finalized the investigation with the
help of a suspected "field operator" who testified about the
kidnapping operation.

Martono declined to name the informant.

"We don't know the reasons why this man (the informant) came
and testified before us about the operation. The most important
thing is that his information has helped us find out that none of
the 12 activists survived," he said.

The whereabouts of the activists' bodies were still a mystery.

The informant also told the team that the 12 activists were
mostly affiliated to the Democratic People's Party (PRD), a
political group of youths that staunchly campaigned against
Soeharto's New Order regime, and others who supported his then-
political opponent Megawati Soekarnoputri who then led the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

However, based on a report by the group of families and
relatives of the missing persons (IKOHI), there were at least 14
people, not 12, who disappeared during the same period, including
Yani Afri and Sonny, both drivers involved in pro-Megawati
campaigns against the Soeharto rule.

The remaining 12 were Deddy Hamdun, Noval Alkatiri and Ismail
-- all loyalists of the United Development Party (PPP), Suyat,
Herman Hendrawan, Petrus Bima Anugerah, M. Yusuf, Ucok Munandar
Siahaan, Yadin Muhidin, Hendra Hambali and street singer and poet
Widji Thukul -- all PRD activists, as well as Abdun Nasser, a
contractor who went missing during the riots of May 1998.

The team presented its report during a plenary session of
Komnas HAM in August, and was awaiting a hearing with lawmakers
before filing it to prosecutors.

"I think our team and lawmakers will be engaged in a rigorous
debate as to whether the case should legally proceed. But no
matter what the political decision is, I believe that the dark
side of the country's history can not be hidden for much longer,"
Martono was quoted by Antara as saying.

Law No. 26/2000 stipulates that the establishment of a human
rights tribunal to try such a case requires the political
approval of the House of Representatives.

Other cases of human rights abuses, including the Trisakti
incident on May 12, 1998, and the Semanggi I and Semanggi II
incidents on Oct. 13,1998 and on Sept. 24, 1998, have never gone
to court as the House earlier declared those three incidents
could not be categorized as gross human rights abuses.

Martono said the modus operandi of the abduction cases showed
similarities with the Trisakti shootings and May riots, with the
only differences "the role of the field operators".

"The point is that these incidents had strong correlations:
The masterminds were those who insisted on keeping their
political hold on the country; the same people the reform
movement had disgraced," he said.