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?."