Whereabout of missing activists still unknown

JAKARTA (JP): The military disclaimed yesterday any knowledge of the whereabouts of 12 political activists still missing, but said the number of its men suspected of involvement in the abductions and torture of activists had increased by one to 11.

Head of the Armed Forces fact-finding team Maj. Gen. Syamsu Djalal said the team had questioned Col. Chairawan, the chief of the Army's special force (Kopassus) Group IV on intelligence operations, for alleged involvement in the abductions.

However, one of the investigators, Col. Sudirman Panigoro, said that Chairawan was not among the 11 suspects.

"The latest suspect is commander of the 'Lampung team', and he is also from Kopassus," Sudirman told reporters after accompanying Syamsu in meeting relatives of missing activists at the National Military Police Headquarters in Central Jakarta.

Sudirman was referring to the team who abducted activist Andi Arief in Lampung on March 28. Andi was handed over by his abductors to the police on April 17 and released last week.

When pressed for the suspect's rank, Sudirman only said: "It could be a lieutenant colonel or a major."

Sudirman said the ranks of the other 10 suspects were lower than the 11th suspect. He also said their dossiers would be completed on Saturday. He did not say when the military tribunal would begin.

Syamsu said yesterday the suspects could be charged under several articles of the Criminal Code and the Military Criminal Code which include cruelty, participation in a criminal act, an act beyond the authority given them, or disobeying an instruction.

Syamsu also agreed with Andi that a number of other military institutions, including his own unit, might have been involved in the abductions.

Andi said on Tuesday that there were at least two other forces besides Kopassus that were involved in the abductions.

Syamsu said that members of the Jakarta Military Command, the Armed Forces Intelligence Agency, the National Police and the National Military Police might have also been involved in the "process" of the abductions.

Also yesterday, Syamsu revealed the fact-finding team had visited Kopassus headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta -- which had allegedly been used as the detention site for activists -- to search for the still missing activists. They did not find any one.

"Nobody is detained at that place anymore, so please be patient," Syamsu told the relatives of the activists.

"Based on information we have gathered, there are some activists who have been released, but we are still checking on their whereabouts and we will keep pursuing this," Syamsu added.

The relatives demanded yesterday that Syamsu and the fact- finding team immediately find their loved ones. The relatives were accompanied by Munir of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).

Syamsu said the suspects were questioned for their involvement in the abductions of Andi, Nezar Patria, Aan Rusdiyanto and Mugiyanto.

The last three were abducted from their apartment in Klender, East Jakarta, on March 12 and three days later were handed over to the police. The three were released by the police last month.

Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto said last week the abductions were only "procedural violations" by the suspects as they went beyond their superior's instruction.

He said the instruction was only to unveil a number of radical activities which were harmful to various government programs and to people's safety.

"In the implementation, the Kopassus members acted beyond appropriate procedures, including committing indisciplinary acts and measures exceeding their superior's instruction," Wiranto said.

Human rights groups and activists who reappeared after being abducted flatly rejected Wiranto' statement. They charged the abductions were a part of a systematic operation as they were well-organized and carried out by a number of military units. (byg/imn)