Remains of slain ex-communist activists found in Wonosobo
Remains of slain ex-communist activists found in Wonosobo
JAKARTA (JP): A joint team formed by the National Commission
on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Indonesian Institute for the
Study of the 1965/1966 Massacre (YPKP) has uncovered the remains
of some 24 people linked to the outlawed Indonesian Communist
Party (PKI) in Wonosobo, Central Java.
YPKP's attorney Esther Indahyani Jusuf said the remains were
unearthed from a mass grave in Situkup forest in Dempes village,
some 80 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital of
Semarang, in three sorties.
All the bones have been kept in the Sardjito state hospital in
Yogyakarta. Forensic doctors at the hospital are ready to examine
the remains, pending a formal request from families who had
claimed that their relatives went missing in the aftermath of the
abortive coup blamed on PKI in 1965.
Reports said thousands were killed in a military-backed
crackdown on alleged communist supporters. In his capacity as
Nahdlatul Ulama chairman, President Abdurrahman Wahid apologized
last year for the involvement of the Muslim organization's
activists in the bloodbath.
Esther told The Jakarta Post on Monday that the bones were
believed to belong to political prisoners who were moved from
Yogyakarta to Wonosobo prison on February 26, 1966.
"We suspect they were killed on March 3, 1966 because from
that day on they disappeared and never returned." Esther said.
Last week's findings is a culmination of a six-year
investigation, which also recommended more excavations in Blora
and Yogyakarta, according to Esther.
She said among the remains unearthed on Friday were
"Sudjijem", a female.
"The name 'Sudjijem' was engraved on a wedding ring on a
finger bone we found among the skeletons along with the date '26-
6-1965'," she said, adding that Sudjijem was probably 24 when she
died.
Esther said the excavation on Friday was made following a plea
by Wonosobo resident Sri Muhayati, whose father Muhadi were among
those who disappeared from Wonosobo prison.
She added that 20 other people claimed to have lost their
relatives in the same way Muhayati's father did. They include
Endang Dwi Astuti who is seeking her father Sandiwijoyo,
Suwarsono who is seeking his father Tondosuprapto and Mrs.
Sarbini Purwowihardjo who is seeking her son Ibnu Santoro, a
former lecturer of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.
Esther also said a 72-year-old man who asked for anonymity,
had informed YPKP that he was ordered to dig a mass grave in 1966
by security personnel.
Meanwhile, chief of the hospital forensic installation
Seogandhi said he received on Sunday night five wooden boxes full
of bones and one empty box from YPKP activists.
He estimated the bones came from at least 18 bodies.
Soegandhi said it would take 10 days to complete the
identification of the remains.
Meanwhile, noted historian Anhar Gonggong urged the government
to seriously speed up the rehabilitation of families related to
members of the communist party.
"This nation should free its citizens from fear and violence.
We should be united in our various cultures, races, religions,
languages and even beliefs," Anhar said in an address to
attendees of a reconciliation dialog at Atmajaya University on
Monday.(44/01/edt)