Thursday, August 2, 2012

The breaking up of the “TABU" AND "MISTERY"


Kolom IBRAHIM ISA
Thursday, August 02, 2012
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Indeed, a "Breaking And Encouraging News"

To
Yvette Lawson (Amnesty International - The Netherlands),
Coen Holtzappel (Chairman St. Wertheim) and
Laura Haig (AI - London),

Indeed, a "breaking and encouraging news", --- finally the KomnasHAM has taken the long awaited VERY IMPORTANT step:

The breaking up of the “TABU" AND "MISTERY", and OPENING UP THE 1965 MOST SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS SO FAR IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA.

Following this -- -The concerned authorities, the Attorney General and the President – should act for the solution of the above mentioned Human Rights Violations.

We should congratulate the KomnasHAM for their resolute and brave action of publishing their final report on the gross violation of Human Rights by the Indonesian military and police and their supporters, against 500.000 up to three million innocent people of Indonesia, in the period ending 1965, further in 1966, and continued until the end of the New Order regime of President Suharto.

We should also congratulate and support the agenda of the AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, Londonm, for activities, a.o. : --------------
"To write a letter to the Indonesian Attorney General in the coming weeks to urge him to act on the report".

Let us advise the AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, London and The Netherlands TO

DOUBLE AND TRIPLE THEIR ACTIVITIES FOR THE CAUSE OF THE VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VOLATION IN INDONESIA; AND INCREASE THEIR COOPERATION AND COORDINATION WITH INDONESIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACITIVISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS!!

Amsterdam, August 02, 2012
Ibrahim Isa
Publisher
Secretary of Stichting Wertheim, Amsterdam

* * *
News from Yvette Lawson:
Hai Coen,
onderstaand bericht wilde ik je niet onthouden.
Hoop dat alles goed gaat met jullie in Duitsland,
hartelijke groet,
Yvette

Yvette Lawson coordinator Asia Amnesty International-Netherlands PO Box 1968
1000 BZ AmsterdamThe Netherlands
tel: + 31 20 6264436 ext. 789 (Tue. and Thursday morning)
fax: + 31 20 6240889
email:
----- Forwarded by Yvette Lawson/NL/Amnesty International on 23/07/2012

From: Laura Haigh/I.S./Amnesty International@INTSEC
To: Yvette Lawson/NL/Amnesty International@Netherlands,
Cc: Josef Benedict/I.S./Amnesty International Date: 23/07/2012
Subject: Jakarta Post: Komnas HAM declares 1965 purge a gross human rights violation

Hi Yvette,
I'm sure you'll have seen this already, but wanted to forward a Jakarta
Post article on the Komnas HAM '65 report which was submitted to the AG
today. We are planning to write a letter to the AG in the coming weeks to
urge him to act on the report. Will keep you updated.

Best wishes from a gloriously sunny London,
Laura

* * *

Komnas HAM Declares 1965 Purge a Gross Human Rights Violation
Margareth S. Aritonang, The Jakarta Post, July 23 2012,

Justice delayed is justice denied: Nur Kholis (center), the head of the
investigation team working under the National Human Rights Commission
(Komnas HAM), displays evidence on Monday that confirms military
officials’ involvement in the killings of at least 500,000 members of the
Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) during the 1960s and 1970s. The team has
urged the government to prosecute relevant military officials, who worked
under the command of late former president Soeharto, and to deliver an
official apology and rehabilitation to the victims and their families.
(JP/Jerry Adiguna)

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has declared in its
findings on Monday that the systematic prosecution of alleged members of
the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) after the failed 1965 coup was a
gross human rights violation. The commission urged that military officials
who were involved in the purge be brought to trial.

Nur Kholis, the head of the investigative team on the 1965 coup, said that
state officials under the Operational Command for the Restoration of
Security and Order (Kopkamtib) led by former president Soeharto who served
from 1965 to 1967, and between 1977 and 1978, should be taken to court for
various crimes, including mass rape, torture and killings.
Nur Kholis said that his team had handed over the 850-page report to the
Attorney General’s Office (AGO). “We hope that the AGO will follow up the
report,” he said.

During more than three years of investigation, the team had gathered
testimony from 349 witnesses.

Nur Kholis said that military officials had deliberately targeted innocent
civilians during the operations, which occurred nationwide. “Many of the
victims had nothing to do with the communist party or its subordinates.

The military officials made it look like those people were linked to the
party,” he said.

After the Sept. 30, 1965 movement, thousands of people, some estimate as
many as 500,000, who were suspected of being PKI members were killed. Many
more were imprisoned for years without charge.

The discrimination against people associated with the PKI continued with
the government barring them from being civil servants, military officers,
teachers or clerics. Former members of PKI also found it hard to get jobs
due to the ex-political prisoner status on their identity cards.

In 2004, the Constitutional Court ruled that ex-members of PKI were
allowed to contest elections. Two years later, the government deleted the
ex-prisoner label from identity cards.

Nur Kholis said that the team demanded the government issue a formal
apology to victims and their families. The apology should be followed by
rehabilitation, reparation and compensation.

The Murder Victim’s Research Foundation (YPKP) said that the late former
president Soeharto was the person most responsible for the crimes.

However, the fact that he had passed away should not deter the AGO from
investigating the case. YPKP said that several other perpetrators remained
alive. (fzm/lfr)

* * *


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