Whereabouts of missing persons must be revealed
Whereabouts of missing persons must be revealed
JAKARTA (JP): Rights activist Maj. Gen. (ret) Samsuddin
strongly urged the Armed Forces (ABRI) yesterday to disclose the
fate of the pro-democracy activists still missing now that a
former officer had admitted to abducting and releasing nine other
activists.
"I believe ABRI knows the whereabouts of the activists,"
Samsuddin told a discussion held by the Commission for Missing
Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) which has been actively
searching for the activists.
"ABRI must explain to the public the missing activists'
whereabouts: whether they are still alive or have been killed. If
they are still alive they should be returned to their families.
If they have been killed, where were they buried?" Samsuddin
said.
"The military is responsible for seeking the missing persons,
because Prabowo has admitted before the Officers Honor Council he
abducted the nine pro-democracy activists," he said. He was
referring to the former chief of the Army's Special Force
(Kopassus) Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, who was dismissed
from the service earlier this week for his involvement in the
abduction and torture of the activists.
The nine activists who have been reunited with their families
are Pius Lustrilanang, Desmon J. Mahesa, Rahardjo Waluyo Djati,
Faisol Riza, Nezal Patria, Mugianto, Aan Rusdianto, Andi Arief
and Haryanto Taslam.
Thirteen other missing persons currently being sought by
Kontras are Deddy Hamdun, Noval Alkatiri, Ismail, Suyat, Petrus
Bima Anugrah, Yani Afri, Sonny, Ucok Munandar Siahaan, Hendra
Hambali, M. Yusuf, Y. Muhidin, Triyono and Wiji Thukul. Leonardus
Gilang Nugroho Iskandar was been found dead in Magetan, East
Java.
Samsuddin, former chief of the Trikora Military Command
supervising Irian Jaya and Maluku, also blamed ABRI and its
uncontrollable intelligence system for the abductions.
"It is not ABRI's task to abduct and torture Indonesian
citizens because ABRI, which came from the people, has as its
main task to protect them.
"If ABRI deemed the activists' movement as disruptive to the
stability, it could have asked the police to investigate or
detain the activists for questioning."
"It has been seen very often that in military operations
intelligence officers took actions beyond their authority and
without the military commander's knowledge," he said.
He said that based on Prabowo's admission to the Officers
Honor Council, it was quite probable that the then chief of the
Jakarta Military Command, Maj. Gen. Safrie Syamsudin, knew about
the abductions.
"To appease public dissatisfaction with the administrative
sanctions imposed by ABRI on Prabowo, (his successor) Maj. Gen.
Muchdi Purwopranjono and (Kopassus officer) Col. Chairawan, ABRI
should bring them before a military tribunal," he said.
He said the admission of Prabowo and Pius -- who described his
abduction in detail -- could be used as legal evidence to
prosecute the three officers. (rms)