YLBHI sets up post to trace missing activists

JAKARTA (JP): With the number of missing activists increasing, the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) yesterday set up a monitoring post to help trace their whereabouts.

"We want to help relatives of the missing activists search for their family members," Munir, the foundation's deputy chairman for operational affairs, said.

Relatives of Andi Arief, a student from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, and Herman Hendrawan from Airlangga University in Surabaya, came to the foundation's office to report their disappearance.

Andi was reported missing last weekend and Herman is thought to have been missing since March 12.

Munir said his office had so far received 11 reports of missing activists.

The foundation said it had received reports from relatives of Pius Lustrilanang, 29, who is the secretary of Siaga, a loose association which supports prominent government critics including Megawati Soekarnoputri and Amien Rais, and Desmond J. Mahesa, a director of the Jakarta-based Nusantara Legal Aid Foundation.

Others reported missing are Faisal Rezha, Rahardjo Waluyo Djati, and Nezar Patria, all from Gadjah Mada University; Mugianto and Aan Rusdianto, also university students; and Haryanto Taslam, a loyal supporter of the ousted Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, who was reported missing on March 9.

Munir condemned the alleged abduction of the activists: "If the activists were guilty of committing a crime, they should have been brought to trials, not kidnapped."

He believed the disappearances were linked to the outspoken nature of the missing people, who were all harsh government critics.

Munir said that he would force police to search for the activists, as the Armed Forces (ABRI) have already promised.

ABRI spokesman Brig. Gen. A. Wahab Mokodongan said Tuesday that the Armed Forces headquarters had instructed the National Police to investigate the disappearances.

Wahab also dismissed allegations that the military were behind the disappearances. (imn)