Whereabouts of missing activists still a mystery
JAKARTA (JP): Mystery remains over the whereabouts of 14 missing activists because the Armed Forces (ABRI), which has been battered by revelations of alleged serious human rights abuses, can no longer afford the disclosure of any past wrongdoing, according to a member of the Independent Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).
Munir from Kontras told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that ABRI was in the midst of "political difficulties" regarding those who are still missing.
"ABRI is still calculating the implications if it announces that there are a number of people among these 14 activists who are already dead," Munir said.
Analysts say that the image of ABRI, which celebrates its 53rd anniversary on Monday, is at its lowest level, following allegations of human rights abuses during the 32-year rule of former president Soeharto. Allegations include the killing of more than 780 people during military operations to quell separatist movements in Aceh in the early 1990s.
Kontras has said that at least 24 activists have gone missing since April last year. Nine have resurfaced after being missing for several months and talked of abductions and torture during detention, one was found dead in May and the rest remain unaccounted for.
Amid mounting public pressure to find those still missing, ABRI announced the alleged involvement of the elite Army's Special Force (Kopassus) members in the abductions of political activists in July.
Minister of Security and Defense/ABRI Chief Gen. Wiranto then discharged Soeharto's son-in-law and former Kopassus chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto and removed two senior Kopassus officers from active duty in August, for their involvement in the abductions of political activists.
Eleven other members of Kopassus are reportedly facing court- martial for their involvement in the abductions and torture of political activists.
Munir, however, has said that no military tribunal should be held until all of the missing activists reappear, as it would not be legally feasible to bring the officers to another trial for the same case, should further evidence be found later on.
Wiranto said in August that the military did not know the whereabouts of these activists and promised to keep searching for them.
"I suggest that there is still an unsettled problem within ABRI which is hindering the search for the (missing) activists and the prosecution of the suspects," Munir said.
He however, refused to elaborate further.
In an effort to seek international support to locate the missing activists, Kontras met with the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday to report the abductions of the political activists.
Rapporteurs of the Working Group receive reports from individuals and organizations and deal with the governments concerned in an attempt to clarify allegations and bring torture and summary or arbitrary executions to an end.
In the above instances, the UN can urgently intervene with governments when the minimum international standards of fair trial and appeal appear not to have been met. (byg)