Man paid Rp 40,000 died in PDI headquarters raid

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Six years ago, on July 26, Uju bin Asep, along with 15 people in the neighborhood, left his house in Kapuk subdistrict, Cengkareng district, West Jakarta. None of them told their family members where they were going.

Uju's wife, Darini, said her husband had some work, but he did not elaborate.

That was the last time she saw her husband alive.

"I was shocked when their friends told me two days later that my husband was killed during the incident on Jl. Diponegoro because I did not know that he was there," Darini told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Uju, then 31, was among five people killed in the July 27, 1996 incident when supporters of pro-Indonesian Democratic Party chairman (PDI) chairman Soerjadi attacked supporters of ousted party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri at the party's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

Uju, who did odd jobs for a living, was survived by two children -- an eight-year old girl and a 10-year old boy -- and two wives.

Friends of Uju said he was one of hundreds of civilians recruited by Soerjadi's camp to join the military in attacking Megawati's supporters who tried to defend the headquarters, which was a being used as symbol of rebellion against former president Soeharto.

"Many of us here received Rp 40,000 each from the recruiters. I also got the money even though I did not take part in the attack. But Uju and his friends from Pedongkelan area did," said Dodong, not his real name, who lives one kilometer from Uju's house.

Darini admitted that she was told by Uju's friends that her husband was among those recruited to attack Megawati's supporters. But she said she did not know how much money her husband was promised by the recruiters.

Satiri Makmun, secretary to the head of the neighborhood unit where Uju lived, said that Uju and his friends claimed that they would go to Bogor, West Java, for business. Makmun confirmed that they were paid Rp 40,000 each.

"Therefore many people were confused when they heard that Uju was killed during the incident on Jl. Diponegoro," Makmun said, adding that Uju had no permanent job. He usually did jobs offered by neighbors, including as a construction worker, porter or other odd jobs.

Uju was dead at Ridwan Meureksa hospital in Central Jakarta on July 27. The military said that Uju died of a heart attack, according to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). An autopsy, however, was not performed on Uju's body.

Darini, who was married to Uju for eight years, said that her husband had never suffered heart problems before.

"I do not believe my husband died because of heart attack," said Darini, adding that there were bruises on Uju's back.

According to Darini, the burial cost of her husband was covered by Soerjadi. Fifteen days after Uju's death, Soerjadi and his family came to her house and gave her Rp 1.5 million. He later gave another Rp 1.4 million.

Soerjadi also promised scholarships to Uju's two children. "I hope that Pak Soerjadi will not forget his promise to pay the school fee as the children have no father now," Darini added.

Data from Komnas HAM shows that 149 people were injured, 23 people went missing and five people were killed during the attack. Besides Uju, the other four were residents of Pekayon, South Bekasi; Sukolilo, Central Java; Indramayu, West Java; and Pademangan, West Jakarta.

It is not clear whether the casualties were supporters of Megawati or Soerjadi. Worse, the legal process has not been completed.

What's clear now is they were the victims of political conflict.

Megawati, who was elected PDI chairwoman in 1993, was toppled at the government-backed party congress early in 1996. She was replaced by Soerjadi.

Soerjadi, as well as Governor Sutiyoso, the then Jakarta Military Commander, were named suspects in the case. While the legal process has not been completed, Megawati declared the party's support for the nomination of Sutiyoso for the next gubernatorial election.