Rights activist worried about missing people

JAKARTA (JP): Amid heightened concern over people reportedly missing after violent rioting on Saturday, human rights campaigners lamented officials' reluctance to provide information.

"Even hospitals deny us access to people who were reportedly treated there for injuries suffered in the incident," said Bambang Widjojanto of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation yesterday.

Bambang said that concern about the missing people -- some suspected to have died in the clash with security forces following the forced takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- has intensified.

The foundation established a hotline service yesterday for families to report any missing persons since the incident. So far, 70 reports have poured in, both through the foundation and PDI executives still loyal to deposed chief Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"We're not yet sure whether those missing were included in the more than 200 people detained by the security forces during the incident," Bambang told the press yesterday. "We are not even sure where those people are being held."

"It's so difficult to confirm reports of deaths," he said.

"Some people claimed they saw dead bodies during the violence, but we have no way of checking. Some hospitals denied us access," he said. Despite the military's insistence that only three people died, Bambang said the aid office has confirmed seven deaths.

Spokesperson of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute Dewi Novirianti said the office has verified that four of the reported missing people are currently being detained at the city police detention.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Nurfaizi denied speculation that hundreds had died in the clash. "It's not true that the dead amounted to 130 people. Who spread the rumor?" he said.

Nurfaizi also took foreign and domestic reporters to visit the PDI headquarters yesterday, one of the sites of the violence, in order to dispel rumors that it had become a mass burial site for those killed in the incident.

Separately, an employee of a crematorium in Cilincing, North Jakarta denied reports that the bodies of eight supporters of Megawati, said to be killed in the clash, had been cremated there.

"Not many bodies have been sent here for the past few days," the employee told The Jakarta Post.

Questioning

Megawati said yesterday she had not been summoned for questioning by the Attorney General's Office. "If the summons arrives, I'll answer only if I know for certain the reasons why they're calling me," she said at her home in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.

The police have reportedly summoned Megawati, Soerjadi and others to come in for questioning.

"I have authorized a team of lawyers to handle legal technicalities of the planned summons," Megawati said after meeting with the influential leader of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem organization, Abdurrahman Wahid.

"I came here to tell Megawati that I pray for her and that I support her," said Abdurrahman, who is better-known as Gus Dur. He said prayer is the most appropriate support for a person "facing cruelty".

He did not elaborate, but only said that "the most important thing is that I totally support Megawati in her struggle for democracy".

Megawati's rival, Soerjadi, who was elected new party chairman in a government-backed rebel congress last month, said he would be ready whenever the Attorney General's Office sent for him.

"I haven't received the call yet, however," he said.

The government had made clear earlier that everyone thought to be involved in the rioting -- which erupted after Soerjadi's supporters took over the party's headquarters from Megawati's loyalists -- would be questioned.

Soerjadi said he had 2,000 supporters, but only 800 of them had been "trained" to take over the headquarters.

Soerjadi, who is Megawati's fellow legislator, said he was still willing to seek a truce with Megawati. "We'll continue the effort for that," he said.

Party

Also yesterday, Soerjadi said he was as convinced as the military that activists of the unrecognized People's Democratic Party (PRD) were involved in the rioting.

"It was me who reported their involvement, in fact," he said.

Separately, Armed Forces Chief for Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid said yesterday that the military was conducting an investigation on the role of PRD in the unrest, as well as on reports that the party was financed by foreign donors.

"We have copies of receipts of financial contributions for its activities," Syarwan told foreign correspondents, adding he was also planning to question the reported donors, some of whom gave Rp 100,000 (US$42.5).

"It is not a matter of the amount of money the donors have given to PRD, but that their funding, in fact, has helped PRD activists organize riots in various cities," he said.

The Attorney General's Office sent seven officials on Tuesday night to pick up labor activist Muchtar Pakpahan to be questioned on his role in the unrest. Syarwan said he has yet to receive reports of the incident.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's ambassador-at-large for special affairs F.X. Lopes da Cruz said he would be ready to face queries, should they arise, about the PDI crisis when he attends the meeting on the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities later this month.

According to Lopes, he asked President Soeharto for some input on the recent events surrounding the PDI in anticipation should the issue be brought up.

"With the recent developments, someone is bound to raise questions. We asked the President for some advice so we know exactly where the situation lies," Lopes said. (swe/imn/20/17/bsr/jun/16/mds)

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