President urged to reopen 1998 kidnap cases

President urged to reopen 1998 kidnap cases

JAKARTA (JP): Political activist Andi Arief demanded on
Wednesday the reopening of a number of 1998 abduction cases on
student activists, in which military representatives had admitted
their involvement.

"At least 12 activists were kidnapped. The whereabouts of
three of them, student activists Suyat, Bimo Petrus and Herman
Hendrawan, are still unknown," Andi, who was abducted in southern
Sumatra in March 1998 but found one month later in a Jakarta
police cell, told reporters.

"I demand that President Abdurrahman Wahid, Vice President
Megawati Soekarnoputri and National Police chief Lt. Gen.
Rusdihardjo, issue an order to reopen the reinvestigation of the
kidnapping cases."

He said the police would now have in their hands a new witness
to question, namely Central Java Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi,
who is soon to be installed as the Jakarta Police chief.

"I am absolutely sure that Pak Nurfaizi knows the whereabouts
of my three missing friends, since he was involved in the
investigation process," Andi said.

"When I was found in the police cell and was investigated by
my questioning officer, Lt. Col. (Kamaluddin) Lubis, Nurfaizi was
the National Police chief of detectives."

Andi said he believed that Suyat, Bimo and Herman were still
alive.

"If Pak Prabowo (former chief of the Army's Special Force --
Kopassus) then said that there were only nine activists who were
kidnapped, he was lying. There are at least 12 missing."

Then Armed Forces spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif said in
July, 1998 that the special forces members were involved in the
kidnappings of Pius Lustrilanang, Desmond J. Mahesa, Haryanto
Taslam, Andi Arief, Feisol Reza and Raharjo Waluyo Jati, and the
detention of Nezar Patria, Aan Rusdiyanto and Mugiyanto.

All have been released, including Andi.

"I have spoken with my lawyer, Munir (from the Commission for
Missing Persons and Victims of Violence -- Kontras), and he will
support me in this case. Nurfaizi can be a key witness, who was
formerly never questioned," Andi said.

"If the President and Vice President refuse this, and do not
open this case, then they are in their own way showing that they
support the kidnappings. I just feel very responsible for the
safety of my three friends, if they are still alive."

Andi, 29, the chairman of the Indonesian Students Solidarity
for Democracy (SMID) which is a student wing of the outlawed
Democratic People's Party (PRD), was taken by his family to his
hometown of Lampung on July 15, 1998.

A graduate of Gadjah Mada University's School of Social and
Political Sciences, Andi was abducted by an unidentified gang in
Lampung on March 28, 1998.

Andi's father, M. Arief Mahya, said in April 1998 his son told
him that after being abducted, he was taken by ferry from
Bakauheni, Lampung, to Merak, West Java, and then to Jakarta.

He was subsequently taken to Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, and
blindfolded. He was then driven for one and a half hours to an
unknown destination and placed in a cell where he remained until
being handed over to police on April 17, 1998.

Police maintain Andi was in their custody from March 29, 1998,
the day after he disappeared, and was arrested for his alleged
involvement in a bomb explosion at a low-cost apartment in
Central Jakarta in January 1998. (ylt)