INFID, September 9, 2004
INFID's Short News Overview No. V/23: September 3-9, 2004
General News
Rights Activitist Munir Dies
Indonesia's top human rights activists Munir was on Sept. 7 reportedly died aboard a
plane heading to Amsterdam. He was 38.
Munir was executive director of Imparsial, an Indonesian human rights group
established in June 2002 by 17 of the country's most prominent human rights
advocates.
Lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis said Munir fell ill on board the Garuda flight bound for
Amsterdam, vomiting repeatedly. Garuda spokesman Pujobroto said Munir died about
two hours before landing at Amsterdam's Schipol airport.
The cause of death wasn't known and Munir's body was with airport authorities in
Amsterdam pending an investigation. His friends and colleagues said he appeared
healthy and cheerful before departing to continue his studies on human rights at
Utrecht University, where he had been offered a scholarship. They, however, said that
Munir had, at one time, been in the hospital in Jakarta for liver ailments. He also
suffered from gastric problems.
In a press conference on Sept. 7 Director of Imparsial Rachland Nashidik said the
results of the autopsi would be announced by Sept. 10. While waiting for the results,
he asked all parties to cease spreading speculations about the possible cause of
Munir's death. Joining Rachland in the press conference were INFID's Executive
Secretary Binny Buchori, Asmara Nababan, Karlina Supelli, AD Sitompul, Ifdhal
Kasim, and MM Billah.
Asmara Nababan said that a team of Dutch doctors had begun an autopsy on Munir,
and that it would take around two days.
Munir's wife Suciwati, his father and fellow activist Usman Hamid left for the
Netherlands on Sept. 8 night to bring Munir's body home for burial in his hometown of
Malang, East Java.
"Curiosity about Munir's sudden death is rife, and it has encouraged doctors in the
Netherlands to conduct an autopsy with or without the consent of his family," he said.
National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said the police would investigate the cause of
Munir's death.
"The death happened on board a Garuda Indonesia plane. That means that the
incident took place in Indonesian territory. We will conduct an investigation pending
the autopsy report from a hospital in the Netherlands," Da'i added.
Munir gained prominence as the leader of Kontras - the Commission for
Disappearances and Victims of Violence - which was formed months before the
downfall of Suharto in May 1998.
Since then, he was a frequent critic of the country's powerful military and worked to
expose abuses committed by troops. He also called for an investigation into the
disappearance of activists during Suharto's 32-year rule.
In recent weeks, Munir led opposition to a bill pending in Parliament that would give
increased authority to the military.
Born in Malang, East Java, Munir is survived by a wife and a son. He was a recipient
of a UNESCO award as well as Indonesia's Yap Thian Hien prize for his struggle to
promote human rights in Indonesia.
"We have lost one of the most persistent fighters for democracy, someone who never
stopped struggling for what he believed was true. He has contributed his
understanding and comprehension of human rights to the country," President
Megawati Soekarnoputri said.
Munir was also an important figure in INFID's advocacy works. He had always been
close with INFID works and was part of INFID's advocacy team.
Munir 1965-2004: http://www.infid.be/munir.htm.
Source: AP 07/09, JP 07/09 08/09 09/09, Kompas 08/09, own sources
Reconciliation Commission Approved
Indonesia on Sept. 7 approved a truth-and-reconciliation panel to investigate
thousands of state-sponsored killings and abductions during the 32-year dictatorship
of former President Suharto.
The commission, loosely modeled on the body established in South Africa after the
end of apartheid, was approved by Parliament and will begin work next year.
"This will help heal the wounds of Indonesia's past," said Sidarto Danusubroto, head
of the parliamentary committee that formulated the laws. "This is the way of
reconciliation beyond the court system."
Some rights activists, however, have expressed concern that Indonesia's still powerful
military could use the newly formed panel to avoid prosecution for officers implicated
in mass killings.
Given the "weak political commitment" from the current government for the
establishment of the commission -- initiated by Gus Dur in 2000, but not submitted by
the current government until 2002 – Ifhdal Kasim of the Institute for Poolicy Research
and Advocacy (ELSAM) warned that the government must not turn the commission
into "a whitewash machine" for the alleged perpetrators.
Separately, deputy chairwoman of the National Commission on Human Rights
(Komnas HAM) Zoemrotin K. Soesilo agreed, saying that the commission should not
be "an institution for impunity".
The 21-member Reconciliation and Truth Commission will have the power to
investigate rights abuses dating back to 1945, when Indonesia gained independence
from Dutch colonial rule, Danusubroto said.
Danusubroto said the panel would have the power to recommend rights abusers be
taken to court if they refuse to apologize to victims after their involvement in rights
abuses had been proven. But he also said the body could recommend rights abusers
be given amnesty even if their victims refused to accept their admission of guilt - a
clause that has drawn criticism from human rights activists.
Key Articles of the bill:
- Article 27: Compensation and rehabilitation can be given (to victims) if the President
grants amnesty (to perpetrators).
- Article 28: In a situation where perpetrators and victims forgive each another, the
commission can recommend that the President pardon the perpetrators.
- Article 29 (1): If perpetrators and victims forgive one another, a recommendation for
amnesty must be issued.
- Article 29 (2): If perpetrators admit wrongdoing and ask for forgiveness, but victims or
their relatives refuse to forgive them, the commission can make a recommendation.
- Article 29 (3): If perpetrators deny wrongdoing and refuse to ask for forgiveness, they
lose a chance to get amnesty and will be sent to an ad hoc human rights trial.
House passes truth, reconciliation bill: http://www.infid.be/hr_reconciliation.htm.
Sources: AP 07/09, JP 08/09 09/09
Foundations Bill Approved
The House of Representatives endorsed on Sept. 7 the amendment bill to Law No.
16/2001 on Foundations, but no changes were established regarding the authority of
the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) in auditing financial reports of foundations.
Legislator M. Akil Mochtar, who chairs the House special committee deliberating the
bill, said that the changes to the existing law were essential for the development in
the sector of education and health, which were the common scope of foundations.
The amendment bill was submitted by the government to the House on March 6 last
year.
Basically, only three significant changes were made. The changes concern the
remuneration of foundation executives, the time line within which a foundation must
obtain body corporate status, and the tenure of foundation management.
Read the full text at: http://www.infid.be/foundation_bill.htm.
Source: JP 08/09
Blast Near Australian Embassy
A powerful car bomb exploded outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta on Sept. 9,
killing eight people and wounding 161, witnesses and officials said.
Police immediately blamed Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian terror network
that is linked to al Qaeda.
"Initial investigations show this was a car bomb. We do not know whether anyone was
in the car," police chief Gen. Dai Bachtiar said.
Gen. Bachtiar said the bombing bore the hallmark of Jemaah Islamiyah.
"The modus operandi is very similar to other attacks including the Bali bombings and
the Marriott blast. ... We can conclude [the perpetrators] are the same group," Gen.
Bachtiar said.
Chronology of Terror Attacks in Indonesia Dating Back to 1999:
http://www.infid.be/terror_chronology.htm
Sources: AP 09/09, AFP 09/09
Election News
http://www.infid.be/election_news.htm
Golkar falling apart
The leadership of Golkar is facing a serious challenge in deciding what to do about the
growing number of party members -- both executive and grassroots -- who have openly
defied the party leaders' dictate to support Megawati Soekarnoputri in thee
presidential election.
Political analyst Maswadi Rauf of the University of Indonesia said that the dilemma for
the country's largest party was between maintaining unity, one of its strongest
features, and appearing firm against internal dissent.
"If Golkar's executive board wants to keep party unity, it has to tolerate the maneuvers
of its members," Maswadi said.
A number of prominent Golkar executives such as former ministers Fahmi Idris and
Marzuki Darusman have said they are supporting Megawati's rival, Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono and his running mate and Golkar member Jusuf Kalla. Eleven provincial
chapters have also opted to throw their support behind Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The 11 chapters are from the provinces of Banten, West Java, Central Java, East
Java, Lampung, Jambi, North Sumatra, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, South
Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara, Golkar executive Firman Subagyo said.
Sources: JP 04/09, LN 04/09
200 NGOs decide not to vote
A national meeting of civil society involving around 200 non-government and social
organisations has taken a decision not to vote in the second-round of the presidential
elections on September 20 because they have no faith in the two presidential
candidates who are contesting the election.
“We have no faith in the two presidential candidates [who are contesting the election] at
this time and we will therefore not be voting”, said July Eko Nugroho from the
Yogyakarta National Secretariat of Civil Society at a press conference at the Hotel
Milenium on Jalan Fahrudin in Central Jakarta on August 26. Also present at the
press conference was Asmara Nababan and Otto Iskandar from Indonesia Human
Rights Watch (Imparsial).
The meeting also produced an agreement to organise civil society in an institution to
be called the National Secretariat of Civil Society. Nuranini Hilir was nominated to
head the organisation in the position of facilitator. During the press conference Hilir
added that the decision not to vote was taken because they believe that the second-
round of the presidential elections will not bring any benefits to civil society.
“It is a waste of time to support these presidential candidates because for us one of the
candidates is [a former] military [officer] who has committed human rights violations.
The other is from a government which to date has failed [in its mandate]”, said
Nuraini.
The national meeting of civil society was held at the Hotel Milenium began on August
22 and ended on August 26. The meeting aims to formulate a joint platform for the civil
society movement to be able to respond to the latest political and economic
challenges and included a number of sessions on how to determine this platform.
Speakers at the event included Asmara Nababan, Thamrin Amal, Munir, Kusnanto
Anggoro, Faisal Basri and Dita Indah Sari. As well as taking a decision not to vote,
the meeting also produced platforms on various issues such as militarism, urging the
TNI (armed forces) and national police to submit to state authority in carrying out their
national duties and calling for a division of authority between the TNI and police. Other
platforms include building local movements to oppose neoliberalism which will
emphasise collectivity in achieving outcomes in accordance with the needs of society.
Source: INS 07/09
Regional News
Aceh
September 4
Local military spokesman Lt. Col. Asep Sapari said Indonesian troops shot dead
three suspected separatists in Aceh, while 11 other suspected rebels surrendered in
six separate areas of the province.
Three suspected separatists were killed by soldiers in East Aceh. Two of the
separatists were identified as Khairuddin, 22, and Efendi Usman, 35, while the third
has not yet been identified.
September 9
Lt. Col. Asep Sapari said Indonesian security forces killed 11 suspected rebels during
gunbattles in the country's restive Aceh province. All 11 suspected members of the
Free Aceh Movement were killed in overnight fighting in the district of eastern Aceh,
he said. Troops said a local rebel leader identified as Ishak Daud was among the
dead, Sapari said. The deaths brought to at least 16 the number of suspected rebels
killed in the past three days in Aceh. A rebel spokesman couldn't be reached for
comment. It was impossible to verify the military's claim since reporters are barred
from visiting many rebel-held areas in Aceh.
Sources: Antara 03/09, AP 09/09
Abbreviations
AFP Agence France-Presse
AP Associated Press
INS Indoleft News Service
JP the Jakarta Post
LN Laksamana.Net
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