Rights body denounces Kontras attack

Rights body denounces Kontras attack

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The attack on the office of the Commission for Missing Persons
and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Tuesday was part of efforts
to stifle the anti-war movement, the National Commission on Human
Rights (Komnas HAM) asserted.

Komnas HAM also said on Wednesday that the attack was a
serious crime as Kontras was a human rights organization with a
legal mandate to participate in ensuring better rights protection
for all people.

"Regardless of their stance on an issue, a crime against them
must be investigated in accordance with the law," Komnas HAM
member M.M. Billah said during the commission's plenary meeting.

A mob of 100 people claiming to be members of the Pemuda Panca
Marga, a nationalistic group of soldier's kin, attacked the
Kontras office on Jl. Cisadane in Central Jakarta on Tuesday,
hoping to intimidate its founder, Munir.

Clad in green military-like gear, the thuggish enforcers
turned violent and broke furniture and windows at the office, as
well as physically assaulting five people.

Munir had criticized the war in Aceh, saying that it was a
gross human rights violation that would prevent long-term peace
in the province.

Munir, who was in Bandung at the time, is no longer working
with Kontras directly, and has established another organization,
the Indonesian Human Rights Watch, or (Imparsial).

Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil expressed concern over
the attack and called on all parties to respect dissenting
opinions among the people.

"This is a democratic country and people should respect
other's opinions. Everyone should refrain from violence."

President Megawati Soekarnoputri has repeatedly asked for the
full support of her policy in Aceh, both from the Indonesian
people and neighboring countries.

National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar pledged on Wednesday
to pursue legal action against the perpetrators and suggested a
ban on such paramilitary gangs, especially those in uniform.

However, the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono
Sutarto seemed to dismiss their violence and imply that the
dovish Kontras may have had it coming, as a result of their
advocacy on behalf of victims of abuse.

"This is a negative excess, perhaps, by people who just got
tired of Kontras, who always have negative perceptions about the
government's actions," Endriartono said.

"While it may be true that attacking the organization is
against the law ... maybe they (Kontras) should look at
themselves in the mirror," he quipped.