Pressure mounts to reopen 1984 Priok riot file

JAKARTA (JP): The government, facing mounting pressure to reopen an investigation into a bloody riot in Jakarta's Tanjung Priok port district 12 years ago, did not rule out the possibility of doing so yesterday, but at the same time appealed for patience.

Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret.) Edi Sudradjat said the government still has its hands full with the current investigation of the July 27 riot.

"It will be some time before the government could attend to the requests to reopen the investigation because the state has many other problems to take care of," Edi told reporters when asked to comment on the growing demand to reopen the Tanjung Priok file.

Speaking to reporters after a hearing with the House of Representatives, Edi said the government would be prepared to reopen the investigation, if it is considered necessary.

"Just be patient," he said.

The Armed Forces (ABRI) meanwhile considers the case closed saying that those responsible had been tried and convicted.

"We have not closed our eyes to the problem. But we have other problems that we should solve first," the chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid said Wednesday.

The National Commission on Human Rights has received requests from various organizations and public leaders urging it to reinvestigate the Tanjung Priok incident. Many of these organizations say the government's account of the incident, particularly the official death toll, was far from satisfactory.

The requests have been encouraged by the Commission's bold report on the July 27 riot which differed greatly from the government version. The government has since challenged the Commission to come up with evidence to support its claim that 74 people are missing following the unrest in Central Jakarta six weeks ago.

Commission Secretary-General Baharuddin Lopa has stated that because of its tight schedule, the Tanjung Priok affair could only be discussed in December.

According to the official version, on Sept. 12, 1984, soldiers opened fire against machete-wielding protesters who went wild after hearing anti-government sermons from Moslem preachers at a mosque.

The ABRI chief at the time, Gen. L.B. Moerdani, first said nine were killed, but a month later he revised the figure to 18.

Even then, many people were not convinced, but their demands for an independent investigation went unheeded.

Moerdani has now retired from public office.

Dozens of people were subsequently imprisoned for their involvement in the unrest.

The National Commission on Human Rights was only established in 1993. Since then, it has launched investigations into similar incidents, the last one being the July 27 riot. On occasions its findings have contradicted the government's versions of events.

Yesterday, around 200 people gathered at the Al-A`raaf Mosque in Tanjung Priok to mark the 12th anniversary of the tragic incident. Among those who took part in the prayer and Koranic reading were wives and children of those who are still missing from the riot.

Arief Biki, an elder brother of Amir Biki, the Moslem preacher who was killed in the riot, has organized the meeting every year.

On behalf of the relatives of the victims, Arief urged the National Commission on Human Rights to reopen the investigation.

When asked to give his own estimate of the death toll, Arief said: "A lot. But don't force me to give an exact number."

He said he places a lot of hope on the Commission to "uncover the truth" and plans to submit documents to the commission to help with the investigation. (16/imn)

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