Whereabouts of missing activists still unknown

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto claimed yesterday he did not know the whereabouts of the 12 missing activists but pledged to keep searching for them.

"I still know nothing of their whereabouts and whether they are still alive or not," Wiranto was quoted as saying by a delegation from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), led by Munir.

Munir told a media conference after meeting Wiranto at the defense ministry in Central Jakarta that he and his eight-member delegation was not satisfied with the military chief's response.

"In principle, many of our questions were not clearly answered," Munir said.

National Military Police Commander Maj. Gen. Syamsu Djalal, who is also head of ABRI's fact-finding team investigating the disappearances, said last week that the team had visited the Army's special force's (Kopassus) headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta -- which was allegedly been used as a detention site for activists -- to search for the missing activists, but did not find anyone.

Munir said Wednesday he believed the activists were still being held by units under the command of ABRI which might not have been exposed or have been identified but yet to be revealed.

He said yesterday that when he told Wiranto about his belief, the latter said: "It is impossible because the perpetrators (of the abductions) have already been detained."

Syamsu said last week 11 members of Kopassus had been questioned for their alleged involvement in the abductions of political activists.

Syamsu also revealed that members of his own unit, of the Jakarta Military Command, the Armed Forces Intelligence Agency (BIA), and the National Police might have also been involved in the "process" of the abductions.

Wiranto said yesterday that the investigation into the abductions was almost complete and that the suspects' trials could begin in two weeks.

Munir therefore urged Wiranto to have the military investigators immediately question all who might possibly have been involved, including former Kopassus chiefs Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto and Maj. Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono, former Jakarta military commander Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, former ABRI commander Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung, former police detective unit commander Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi and ousted president Soeharto.

Prabowo said two weeks ago that he was ready to take responsibility while Feisal has repeatedly denied his involvement in the abductions of political activists.

Munir said that during the 90-minute closed-door meeting Wiranto was accompanied by, among others, ABRI spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif and BIA chief Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar.

"When I said to Wiranto that Zacky should also be questioned, Zacky just smiled," Munir said.

Munir said that Rahardjo Waluyo Djati and Faisol Reza, two of the nine activists who have reappeared after being abducted, and relatives of Deddy Hamdun and Yani Avri, two of the 12 activists who are still missing, were among his delegation yesterday.

Riots

Rights activist Marzuki Darusman, who heads the government- sponsored fact-finding team into the May riots, said yesterday the team was committed to unveiling the truth behind the riots which were allegedly orchestrated.

"Our mission is to unveil all the facts which include the motives, mastermind and impacts of the May riots and the result (of the investigation) will be conveyed through a recommendation to the government," Marzuki told a media briefing at the Ministry of Justice in South Jakarta.

Marzuki said the team has been given three months to complete its report.

He said the 24-member team has also been authorized to access all related individuals and institutions, including the military, to gather information on the riots.

"Certainly there should be no restriction in our effort to collect information from various sources," said Marzuki, who is also deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights.

Marzuki, however, said the team would guarantee the safety of all witnesses and the confidentiality of their testimonies.

The team includes representatives from ABRI, government agencies, the rights body and non-governmental organizations. (byg)