Land expropriators behind missing activists: Kontras

Land expropriators behind missing activists: Kontras

JAKARTA (JP): The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims
of Violence (Kontras) on Wednesday demanded police investigate
the role of land expropriators in last week's disappearance of
four activists on hunger strike from the legislative building.

Kontras coordinator Munarman said he believed that
businessmen, including cronies of former president Soeharto, had
a strong motive to kidnap the four activists from the Agrarian
Reform Consortium (KPA).

"These activists were bringing up the issue of land
appropriation. If they had succeeded and the land was returned
(to the legal owners) it would cause the businessmen losses,"
Munarman said.

"So it is likely that the kidnappers are men hired by these
parties," Munarman told reporters after meeting with National
Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dadang Garnida at his office to ask
for clarification about the matter.

Munarman, however, gave no names and provided no evidence to
support his accusation.

The four activists, identified as Usep Setiawan, Muhammad
Hafiz Azdam, Anton Sulton, and Idham Kurniawan, went on hunger
strike on Aug. 14 at the People's Consultative Assembly/House of
Representatives (MPR/DPR) compound along with eight others.

Later the same day, the four activists were picked up by a
Sukanto Police Hospital ambulance, after complaining of weakness.

Police paramedics said the four activists, all from the West
Java capital of Bandung, were dropped off in front of the General
Election Commission building on Jl. Imam Bonjol in Central
Jakarta as they had requested.

Supt. Setyanto, the officer in charge of security at the
Annual Session, said on Wednesday he would resign if he or his
men were proved to have been involved in their disappearance.

Setyanto, who is also the secretary of the patrol police
directorate at the Jakarta Police, insisted he and his personnel
knew nothing about the missing men.

Munarman said that for the time being he believed the police
when they said they had nothing to do with the disappearances.

"But we are also urging them to make a search to prove (their
word)," said Munawarman, who recently replaced Munir as Kontras
coordinator.

Some people have suggested the activists may be hiding to gain
popularity or smear the image of the police.

However, Usep's wife Eulis Nurfaidah, 28, who also attended
the meeting with Dadang, said it was impossible that her husband
had run away on his own accord.

"My husband would not put me or our nine-month-old child in
this situation," Eulis said.

In a related incident, dozens of protesters from City Network
(Jarkot) rallied in front of Jakarta Police Headquarters,
demanding the police be held responsible for the disappearance of
the four KPA activists.

The students demanded the police return the men to their
respective families.

"Free our friends!" yelled a student standing on the roof of a
minivan though a megaphone.

Scores of unarmed police personnel watched the protesters
closely.

The protesters unfurled banner and posters reading "Nurfaizi,
bring back our friends or there will a revolution" and "The
police and the Indonesian Military are responsible for the
abductions."

Nurfaizi is Jakarta Police chief.

Newly installed city police spokesman Supt. Muhammad Nur Haji
Usman said the students' accusations were baseless.

"The police have no strong motives for doing that (kidnap),"
he said.

National Police chief Gen. Rusdihardjo promised to continue
searching for the activists.

"It's our job. So far, we have found no clues on who is
responsible for their disappearance. We are still questioning
their families," Rusdihardjo said. (jaw/asa)