Paras Indonesia, November, 22 2005 @ 08:37 pm
Politically Motivated Executions?
By: Roy Tupai
An American Christian group is claiming the Indonesian government's decision to
uphold the death sentence for three Catholic hoodlums convicted of premeditated
murder and inciting deadly religious riots in Central Sulawesi was taken to "balance"
the death sentences for three Islamic militants involved in the 2002 Bali nightclub
bombings.
"Any hope of their getting a pardon or their case being reheard was killed by the Bali
bombing," Washington DC-based International Christian Concern said in a report last
week.
"If three Bali bombers, Muslims, are going to be executed, there is the danger of the
government being accused of being unIslamic or unfair in their dealings with the
Muslim community. The government must be seen to be just and fair. How can this
be achieved? Execute the Christians as well. Show that we are fair, just and
evenhanded. This is how it always seems to work in Indonesia, an eye for an eye, in
order to keep the balance," said the report.
"It does seem strange that just two weeks after the Bali bombers declined to appeal
for amnesty and that the Indonesian government officials said that they might possibly
be executed before the end of the year, that now they announce that the three
Christians would also be executed," it added.
While such an assertion may well be valid, it overlooks the crucial issue that several
alleged political masterminds of the violence in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso
have still not been brought to justice – at a time when the area is being hit by a new
series of attacks.
Critics say the three Catholics on death row are relatively poor and uneducated, and
were therefore made scapegoats for wealthy Protestant and Muslim politicians who
played major roles in instigating the unrest as they struggled for power.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono earlier this month rejected appeals for
clemency from Fabianus Tibo (60), Dominggus da Silva (42) and Don Marinus Riwu
(48). The Attorney General's Office has said they will be executed soon, although a
date is yet to be announced.
Palu District Court on April 5, 2001, sentenced the trio to death, convicting them of
responsibility for a series of murders of Muslims in Poso between May and June
2000. The killings were widely attributed to a conflict between the local political elite
and sparked communal violence that claimed an initial death toll of between 200 to
500 people. The death toll climbed further after a military-backed Islamic paramilitary
group, Laskar Jihad, entered the province in August 2001. No members of Laskar
Jihad were jailed over the carnage.
The first phase of unrest in Poso started on Christmas Eve 1998, which was also the
beginning of Ramadhan that year, when an allegedly drunk Protestant man stabbed a
Muslim man in the arm. Revenge attacks soon took place. By December 27, street
fights and arson attacks had become widespread and continued for over a week.
Analysts linked the violence to a struggle among local politicians for the lucrative
positions of Poso district chief and secretary, which were to become vacant the
following year.
Among those involved in the political turmoil were outgoing district chief Arif Patanga
(Muslim), his younger brother and proposed successor Agfar Patanga (Muslim),
proposed district secretary Damsik Ladjalani (Muslim), legislator Herman Parimo
(Protestant), deputy district chief Yahya Patiro (Protestant), and politician Eddy
Bungkundapu (Protestant).
In August 1999, Parimo went on trial at Palu District Court, charged with inciting the
first Poso riots. He was sentenced to 14 years in jail but died in custody in April 2000
while appealing the verdict.
Agfar Patanga went on trial in Poso in April 2000, also charged with inciting unrest. At
the same time, local businessman Aliansa Tompo went on trial on charges of
embezzling funds from a rural credit scheme. Both trials were suspended due to the
eruption of a new wave of violence, including attacks on the court, rumored to have
been funded by the defendants. Agfar's trial later resumed at Palu District Court and
he was jailed for having disseminated anonymous political leaflets that incited
religious and ethnic violence. His jailing received little coverage and there were
conflicting reports on the length of his sentence. A report by detikcom online news
portal said it was 24 months, whereas a Human Rights Watch report put it at "only a
few months".
The trials of Agfar and Tompo ushered in the so-called "Phase II" of the Poso violence,
which took place over April 16 to May 3 and involved heavy attacks against
Protestants. Analysts said the unrest was exacerbated by intense competition among
the political elite for the position of district secretary.
Phase III
Phase III of the Poso violence, which took place from May 23 to June 30, 2000,
involved a wave of attacks against Muslims. This was the episode that involved the
three Catholics now on death row.
Fabianus Tibo, an uneducated Catholic plantation worker from Flores island in East
Nusa Tenggara province, was accused of being the field commander of a Protestant
militia gang dubbed the "Black Bats" (so named because they dressed in black as
ninjas). Police and the media said the real leader and financial backer of the Black
Bats and affiliated Red Bats group was a former civil servant named Advent Lindo
Lateka, who was killed during a clash on June 2, 2000.
Tibo was regarded by many as a thug for hire because he had previously served six
years in jail for the 1990 murder of a Balinese man involved in a fight with a Muslim. It
is believed he was recruited by Protestants because of his reputation as a tough
fighter. His supporters have said he only became caught up in the Poso violence when
trying to rescue some students trapped in a church dormitory in Moengko
neighborhood on May 23. On that morning, members of the Black Bats had killed a
Muslim policeman and two Muslim civilians, then hid in the church before fleeing to
outlying hills and later carried out more killings of Muslim villagers.
During his trial Tibo named 16 alleged masterminds of the Poso violence, including
several local government officials, civil servants and former military officers. According
to a report by the International Crisis Group, the 16 were: Yahya Patiro, Eddy
Bungkundapu, Paulus Tungkanan, D. Limpadeli, Ladue, Erik Rombot, Theo Manjaya,
Sigli H.X., Obet Tampai, Rungadison, Yanis Simangunsong, Vence Angkowu, Angki
Tungkanan, Heri Baribi, Sarjun ailas Gode, and Guntur Tarinje.
An August 2002 report by The Jakarta Post quoted da Silva as saying the alleged
masterminds also included priests Agustina Lumentut (now deceased) and Papasik,
plus a man named Kristian Rongko.
"They should be arrested for mobilizing people to launch attacks, arson and killings…
We have been victimized. They are the ones who killed people, but we are
imprisoned... I cannot accept this," he said.
Da Silva's additions to the list bring the number of alleged masterminds to 19. None
were ever brought to trial, although Guntur Tarinje was detained in June 2000 for
possession of ammunition. Paulus Tungkanan was detained briefly in May 2004, also
for possession of ammunition, but never tried. His son Berny was among more than
20 people killed on May 28, 2005, when a Christian market was bombed in Tentena
village, Central Sulawesi.
Throughout Tibo's trial there were violent protests outside the courthouse, mostly
staged by displaced Muslims demanding he be given the death penalty. Police at
times fired warning shots to stop the crowds from hurling stones at court officials. The
protesters also called for Yahya Patiro and Eddy Bungkundapu to be arrested and
tried.
Appeals by Tibo, da Silva and Riwu were rejected by Central Sulawesi High Court on
May 17, 2001, and later by the Supreme Court on November 19, 2001.
The three in September 2002 sought a judicial review of their death sentences, based
on the testimony of a former policeman, Irwanto Hasan, who was dismissed from the
force for his involvement in the sectarian violence. Hasan allegedly changed his
account of Tibo's guilt but the Supreme Court decided against staging a retrial.
Local media reports said Tibo showed no mercy in slaughtering his enemies and
similarly showed no remorse during his trial. Like Tibo, da Silva is also from Flores,
while Riwu hails from nearby Kupang in West Timor.
Prayers
In a recent interview with Jakarta-based news radio station, Elshinta, Tibo expressed
sorrow over his failure to win a presidential pardon. "The court verdict seems to be
politically ‘orchestrated' by certain groups who wanted to see us declared guilty for
the mass rioting in Poso in mid-2000," he was quoted as saying by Italy-based
Catholic publication AsiaNews.
Tibo also said her was sorry to "learn that my defense witness was told not to talk
during the court process". Commenting on his execution, he merely said he entrusted
his fate to God.
International Christian Concern claimed the trials of Tibo and his associates were
unfair and a farce because of "intimidation and threats to the judges" by Muslim
protesters.
In a recent Prayer Points section on its website, ICC advised followers to pray that the
Indonesian government will receive international pressure to reverse executions. "Pray
for officials in Indonesia to begin seeing justice through the eyes of Jesus Christ not
Allah," it said in a message that is sure to go down like a lead balloon in Indonesia.
ICC proselytized further in expressing concern over recent incidents of violence in
Poso, including the beheading of three Christian schoolgirls and shootings targeting
Christians. "Please pray the police will find the perpetrators of this sadistic attack and
they will be brought to justice. Pray God will release His mighty warring angels around
each Christian student in Poso until all of the men are caught and prosecuted for
these crimes. Pray that God will use these tragedies to spread the gospel, causing
Muslims in Indonesia to turn to Christ and reject radical Islam."
Strict Supervision
A recent report by the Jawa Pos News Network (JPNN) said Tibo, da Silva and Riwu
were being held under tight supervision in separate cells at Palu jail.
It said a reporter from the JPNN's Sulteng Radar newspaper had to obtain permission
from the Central Sulawesi Justice and Human Rights Office and prison head Purwadi
Utomo to interview the death row inmates.
During the interview, which was supervised by justice and prison officials, Tibo and the
others claimed they had been made scapegoats because they could not afford to buy
Indonesian justice.
Tibo lamented that authorities had not arrested and tried the 16 people he accused of
masterminding the Poso violence. "If the 16 are not caught and tried, the government
will be maintaining the crimes and disturbances. So far, these cases are still
happening because the masterminds have not been arrested," he said.
Da Silva echoed his words, saying police must investigate the 16 "wealthy people",
whose names were also listed in the pardon request sent to the president.
He said he only learned of his imminent execution when a fellow inmate informed him
that his clemency appeal had been rejected. "A prisoner friend asked for my shoes
and other keepsakes because I will soon be shot," he said.
The Attorney General's Office has said the three death row inmates would be informed
three days in advance of the date of their execution.
Of the three, da Silva appeared the most upset, saying he has requested that his
body be sent to the presidential palace after he is executed by firing squad.
Tibo and Riwu seemed to be coping better and resigned to their fate, saying they were
praying regularly for guidance because they couldn't afford justice.
Amnesty International
London-based human rights watchdog Amnesty International has expressed concern
over the imminent executions.
"In addition, Amnesty International is concerned at reports indicating that the trial of
the three men in Palu District Court did not meet international standards of fairness. In
particular, there are concerns that witness testimony provided as evidence by the
defense may have been ignored by the Court when giving its verdict. There were also
reports that there were armed demonstrators outside the courthouse, demanding the
conviction of the three men. Amnesty International is concerned that this intimidation
may have affected the outcome of the trial," the group said in a statement.
Amnesty, which strongly opposes the death penalty, said more than 66 people are
believed to be on death row in Indonesia.
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