ABC AUSTRALIA, 27/09/2005 02:50:06
Indonesia's Human Rights Commission may bring charges over
abductions
Indonesia's Human Rights Commission believes it's collected enough evidence to put
officers suspected of abducting activists from 1998 on trial.
Many of the 12 activists were linked to parties challenging Suharto's autocratic rule,
and disappeared between 1997 and 1998.
Ruswiati Suryaputra from Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission says the
case should qualify as a gross human rights violation because it appears that the
disappearances were done by state institutions.
Although no bodies were ever found, rights activists accuse the military of carrying out
the abductions saying they were probably ordered by the ex-dictator Suharto in order
to eliminate the political opposition.
The human rights commission is now forming a team to check whether there are
enough witnesses and evidence for the case to be put before a special human rights
court.
ABC Asia Pacific TV / Radio Australia
© ABC 2005 |
