Little expected from rights tribunal

Little expected from rights tribunal

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Relatives of the victims of the 1984 Tanjung Priok incident
expressed pessimism on Saturday over the upcoming human rights
tribunal, saying it was established mainly due to external
pressures rather than good faith.

"As the government appears to be dragging its feet on the
process, I'm pessimistic about the ad hoc tribunal. Besides, it
(the establishment of the tribunal) was not initiated by the
government, it is the result of external pressure," Beni Biki,
coordinator of the Tandjung Priok Families' Victims Association,
told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

After so many delays, the government finally unveild Monday
the names of 18 ad hoc judges who would try human rights
violations committed in East Timor in 1999 and in the Tanjung
Priok incident in 1984.

"I don't see any signs of the government's seriousness in this
matter. They are stalling for time ... it's more like a shameful
charade," he said.

On Sept. 12, 1984, military personnel opened fire on a
demonstration led by Amir Biki to demand the release of four
persons detained by the Tanjung Priok military command in North
Jakarta.

The four were being held for their alleged involvement in Amir
Biki's movement protesting the government's policy of the azas
tunggal (sole basis), which required all groups to adopt
Pancasila as their ideology.

The government only acknowledged 18 fatalities in the
incident, while Tanjung Priok residents claimed 400 people were
killed or went missing.

Amir Biki, the Muslim cleric accused of inciting the violence
during the Tanjung Priok incident, was also killed along with his
followers.

After the incident, Tanjung Priok residents experienced
discriminatory treatment from the government and society as they
were regarded as rebels against the state. Some even lost their
jobs.

After former strongman Soeharto fell from grace in May 1998,
pressures mounted for the National Commission on Human Rights
(Komnas HAM) to conduct a thorough investigation into the
incident and for the government to pay compensation to the
victims.

In September 2001, 86 relations of the victims signed an
islah, a traditional Islamic reconciliation agreement, with the
military officers in command at the time of the incident.

They included former Armed Forces chief Beny Moedani, former
Jakarta Military Commander Try Sutrisno, and former North Jakarta
military commander Brig. Gen. R. Butar-Butar. The three have been
charged as suspects by the Attorney General's Office.

During the islah, the military figures agreed to found the
Penerus Bangsa Foundation to take charge of supporting the
families of the Tanjung Priok victims.

Another relative of Amir Biki, Arief Biki, who is now a member
of the People's Consultative Assembly, signed the agreement along
with Amir Biki's wife, Dewi Wardah.

According to Beni, the islah was only a maneuver by the
military to sink the case.

"I don't blame the family, who received Rp 2.5 million in
compensation. It's their decision based on their needs. But we
will still continue to fight for the restoration of our good
names," Beni said.

Beni, who is also the younger brother of Amir Biki, warned
that the rights tribunal would be under domestic public and
international scrutiny and that the government should demonstrate
its determination to bring to justice those responsible for the
shootings.

Beni also said that he and his fellow victims expected little
from the rights tribunal, but that they were interested in having
their names rehabilitated.

"I don't want to prejudice the outcome nor have high
expectations as regards the tribunal. Better to view it with a
"nothing to loose" attitude," he added.

"As long as there is a good will (from the government), these
problems can be resolved (by the tribunal). But if all of this is
just mere gab ... well, what can I say?."