ETAN Urges Justice for Munir on 12th Anniversary of Assassination

ETAN Urges Justice for Munir on 12^th Anniversary of Assassination

September 7, 2016 - On the 12^th anniversary of the murder of Munir Said Thalib, a prominent Indonesian human rights activist, the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) urged U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to press “President Widodo to fully investigate Munir’s murder and hold accountable all those responsible for his death.”

The group wrote “that resolving the case is important to consolidating Indonesia’s democracy.”

Read the rest here.

See also ETAN Backgrounder: The Investigation of the Murder of Munir: Timeline and Recommendations

Jokowi: War criminal Wiranto is not fit to be Indonesia coordinating minister

Graphic via LBH Jakarta

Indonesian President Jokowi has abandoned all pretense to concern about accountability and justice for human rights crimes. Sign ETAN's petition opposing Wiranto as coordinating minister. 

On July 27, 2016, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo appointed indicted war criminal Gen. Wiranto Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Affairs. A presidential spokesperson told the Jakarta Post that Wiranto "well-tested and was experienced in resolving various assignments, especially during the transition period from the New Order to the Reform era in the late 1990s." In 2003, he was indicted by a UN-backed court for his role in the security -force violence during Timor-Leste's independence referendum.

Wiranto is responsible through acts of omission and commission for the gravest violations of human right in East Timor and Indonesia.  Read more here.

See also statement by ETAN, Tapol, Watch Indonesia!: Appointment of General  Wiranto as Minister confirms the deep-rooted impunity in Indonesia

ETAN Statement on 2014 Indonesian Election

ETAN recently issued a statement on the apparent election of Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as President of Indonesia.

The statement begins:

"The Indonesian people have voted. Although the results will not be finalized for several weeks, most "quick count" exit polls show that Jakarta Governor Joko (Jokowi) Widodo is the apparent winner of Indonesia's third popular election for President. Although his opponent former special forces commander Prabowo Subianto has yet to concede, barring fraud during the counting or coup, Jokowi will take the oath of office in October.

"Jokowi campaigned as a reformer, and most voters were not swayed by a massive smear campaign by supporters of his opponent or Prabowo’s nostalgic appeal to Indonesia’s authoritarian past. Many voted for Jokowi expecting a sharp break with that past. Whether their hopes are met will depend on consistent pressure from those who want positive change. The forces of the status quo - from oligarchs to the military - will certainly be urging him to maintain and expand their prerogatives. The fact that Prabowo came so close to winning despite his horrendous human rights record shows how entrenched this status quo remains more than 15 years after the end of Suharto’s dictatorship."

Read the rest here: http://etan.org/news/2014/07etan_on_election.htm .

Also see 

• ETAN, et al.: Groups Urge Any New Government of Indonesia to Pursue Justice and Respect Rights (June 30, 2014)

Yogyakarta voter. Photo by Angie Bexley/New Mandala

Groups Urge Any New Government of Indonesia to Pursue Justice and Respect Rights

Read the Statement to the next government of Indonesia on human rights

Media Release

Groups Urge Any New Government of Indonesia to Pursue Justice and Respect Rights

June 30, 2014 - In a statement released today human rights groups urged the next government of Indonesia "to break with the past [and] fully and meaningfully address the legacy of impunity for past human rights violations," adding that "the continued lack of accountability for past and ongoing violations of human rights threatens lasting progress."

The statement, coordinated by the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) and signed by 32 organizations based in a dozen countries, urged the Indonesia government to “provide meaningful reparations for the victims, survivors and their families of egregious human rights crimes.” It also called on the next government to bring the military “fully under civilian control and the rule of law.”

Read the rest here. 

Bahasa Indonesia: Kelompok-kelompok yang Mendesak Pemerintah Baru Indonesia untuk Mengejar Keadilan dan Menghormati Hak Asasi

Indonesia’s Militarized Democracy: Candidates bring proven records of violating human rights

New from ETAN.

ELECTION BACKGROUNDER

Indonesia’s Militarized Democracy: Candidates bring proven records of violating human rights

Contents

• Prabowo Subianto
• Wiranto
• Djoko Santoso
• Pramowo Edhie Wibowo
• Endriartono Sutarto
• Djoko Suyanto
• Dino Patti Djalal
• Sutiyoso

Although Indonesia has made strides toward consolidating its democracy, some of its leading presidential and vice-presidential candidates continue to have deeply troubling backgrounds of gross human rights violations. This report provides a brief background on Indonesian democratization and examines some of the contenders for the nation’s highest political offices.

Read the backgrounder here: http://etan.org/news/2014/3candidates.htm

Prabowo with Kopassus troops

Wiranto

Indonesia and the School of the Americas

Indonesia and the School of the Americas:

excerpts:

"Inside Indonesia impunity continues to reign supreme: despite some modest gains in reforming the military over the past decade, regular human rights violations continue in West Papua and elsewhere, and the U.S.-created Detachment 88 acts like a death squad, killing suspected terrorists at will. Past crimes continue to go unpunished, with those responsible enjoying prominent positions: Prabowo has formed his own political party and is a leading contender for president, Sjafrie Syamsuddin is a vice-minister, and Lumintang is set to be the next ambassador to the Philippines. General Wiranto, indicted in Timor for his role as head of the military in 1999, is also planning a presidential run."

SoA Watch

"It is clear that the Pentagon has also failed to absorb the lessons of the past. With the State Department as a willing ally, human rightsconditions on U.S. military training and other assistance to Indonesian security forces have been systematically dismantled. Despite its rights rhetoric, the Obama administration, like its predecessors, has put made engagement with Indonesia’s security forces a priority. This is what makes actions like the annual mobilization against the SOA so important.
"When the School of the Americas is finally closed it will be an important victory for its victims across the Western Hemisphere, Indonesia, and the world. However, its end must be followed by larger moves to dismantle the system of training which supports atrocities across the globe – including full accountability for those who committed past atrocities, and for those who trained and equipped them."

'via Blog this'

ETAN and WPAT on Obama's Upcoming Trip to Indonesia

UPDATE: Obama is not going to Indonesia because of U.S. government shutdown. Our criticisms of U.S. policy to Indonesia remain; the policy needs to change.

Read: ETAN Urges President Obama to Put Human Rights at Center of U.S.-Indonesia Relations During Upcoming Visit to Indonesia

excerpts:

“The U.S. must not ignore injustice and human rights violations to advance narrow strategic and economic interests that have little to do with the well-being of the U.S. or Indonesian people,” said ETAN National Coordinator John M. Miller. “While much has changed in Indonesia since the Suharto dictatorship, U.S. security assistance does not promote further change. Instead it encourages impunity and further violations of human rights.” 

“We are calling for a new relationship between the two countries built on an honest assessment of the bloody past,” said Miller. “Instead of offering more weapons and more training to Indonesia’s military, President Obama should suspend this assistance until there is an end to abuses and real accountability for past human rights crimes.”

We are calling for a new relationship between the two countries built on an honest assessment of the bloody past.

Since Obama's last visit to Indonesia, the human rights situation has deteriorated in West Papua and religious intolerance has grown.

“President Obama can send a strong message against impunity by making clear he and and other senior U.S. officials will not to meet with any Indonesian politicians -- including likely presidential candidates, such as retired generals Prabowo and Wiranto -- who have been credibly accused of human rights and other crimes,” said Miller.

The two presidents.

Read: West Papua Advocacy Team Open Letter to President Obama

excerpts: 

This year marks 50 years of Indonesian rule over West Papua, which had previously been a Dutch colony slated for independence. Half a century of Indonesian rule has seen West Papua subjected to crimes against humanity, according to numerous credible human rights reports. Half a century of colonization of one people by the armed forces of another has taken place. Half a century of ongoing conflict has been the result. To resolve the conflict peacefully, international mediation is needed. West Papua was delivered to Indonesian rule as a result of American mediation, which confers upon the United States a special responsibility to act to resolve the current conflict peacefully.

and

The increasing militarization of West Papua indicates that there is no let-up in sight to the half-century of widespread violations of basic human rights in West Papua. If Indonesia is democratizing, the reverse is the case in West Papua.

We therefore recommend that on your trip to Indonesia, you:

1. Press for a dialogue between the Indonesian government and West Papuan civil society, with international third-party mediation, along the lines of the successful international medication of the Aceh conflict in 2005. Current policy is not advancing dialogue. Internationally-mediated dialogue is a growing call from civil society voices in both West Papua and Indonesia.
2. Halt military assistance to the Indonesian security forces. United States cooperation with the most brutal elements of the security forces encourages the climate of impunity, and United States sale of Apache helicopters increases the repressive capacity of the security forces in West Papua. Cooperation with the Kopassus Special Forces and Detachment 88of the Indonesian National Police should be suspended pending an improvement of the human rights situation in West Papua and the initiation of dialogue, and the agreement to provide Apache helicopters should be cancelled. Non-military ties should continue to expand but military cooperation be made conditional on respect for human rights in West Papua, as it was with respect to the Timor-Leste situation prior to Timor-Leste's independence.
3. Press for open access to West Papua by international observers, NGOs and others, so that the conflict will no longer be hidden.
4. Support efforts from within Melanesia to address the root causes of the conflict in West Papua, the denial of self-determination and the persistence of repressive policies by the Indonesian security forces.
5. Press President Yudhoyono to order a halt to security forces' violations of the human rights of West Papuan civilians, and hold security personnel accountable for their crimes by laying charges, where evidence merits, in civilian courts.

West Papua Advocacy Team

ANTI: We are very sad because you are starting to forget and ignore the history of suffering and the past that is still painful!

A-N-T-I
THE TIMOR-LESTE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL
Aliansa Nasionál Timor-Leste ba Tribunál Internasionál

We are very sad because you are starting to forget and ignore the history of suffering and the past that is still painful!

ANTI is aware that every act of murder committed against Timorese citizens was done by those who were following instructions of their commander, namely Prabowo.

Today is the third day of the Development Partners Meeting in Timor-Leste. ANTI notes that the agenda for the Development Partners Meeting did not touch on the issue of justice, especially past human rights violations. We consider that the donors have only demonstrated a "half-hearted approach" or have not shown that they are serious about dealing with development issues in a comprehensive manner. 

Therefore gaps/inequalities continue to be created in society.

In accordance with news announced by the Antara News Agency on 10 June 2013 a meeting took place between Prabowo Subianto, Wiranto and Mari Alkatiri in Jakarta, Indonesia. Timorese leaders and the principal perpetrators of human rights violations have already met on numerous occasions since 2004. According to the aforementioned news report Mr. Mari Alkatiri visited the GERINDRA Party to meet with Prabowo and the GERINDRA Party leadership. Prabowo said that this visit was a special visit for Prabowo and his leadership. This news shocked the Timorese community because it reminds us of the atrocities committed by the Indonesian military, especially KOPASSUS, against innocent civilians in Timor-Leste during the occupation by the military regime.

Alkatiri (left) meets with Prabowo (right)

We are reminded of the human rights violations committed by Indonesia, especially those committed by KOPASSUS. The CAVR report indicated that there was a sharp increase in sexual violence during the mass arrests that took place between 1978-1983. After 1983 Kopassandha/Kopassus (Indonesian Special Forces) committed more than 100 arrests and incidents of torture in Mauchiga (Hatu Builico, Ainaro) and Kraras, Bibileo, (Viqueque). Prabowo was directly involved in the Craras Massacre in Bibileo. In addition, Prabowo?s men were also involved in the Santa Cruz Massacre (1991).

A number of cases involving sexual violations occurred in military posts or on military bases. In 1976, Prabowo was the platoon commander of the Group 1 Sandhi Yudha Troop Command (Kopassandha) that started to lead operations carried out by the
Nanggala Team in Timor-Leste.

We know for sure that he was involved in human rights violations committed in 1983, and at that time he was a captain.

It is very strange that Prabowo was a commander at that time and that he has not been held accountable for human rights violations that he committed together with his men. ANTI is aware that every act of murder committed against Timorese citizens was done by those who were following instructions of their commander, namely Prabowo.
Based on the CAVR report, approximately 102,800 people died as the result of murder, hunger and disappearances that occurred during the conflict. However, there are several estimates that are much higher than the one mentioned in the CAVR report. In addition, approximately 250,000 people were forced to flee to Indonesia and more than four thousand children were taken by Indonesia and until now their families don't know about their circumstances. More than 800 people were victims of forced disappearances and until now their whereabouts are unknown.

At the end of "Black September" in 1999, the UN Commission for Human Rights held a plenary session to discuss human rights violations in Timor-Leste. This special plenary session was the fourth special session conducted in the history of the Commission. The Commission strongly condemned the planned and systematic "crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law" and called for the perpetrators of these crimes to be prosecuted. The Commission also requested to the UN General Secretary to set up a Commission of Inquiry. Not long after, Kofi Annan set up an International Commission of Inquiry on East Timor (ICIET). ICIET was able to fulfill its mandate by visiting Timor-Leste and Indonesia between November ? December 1999. ICEIT concluded that "a wide range of human rights violations and crimes against humanity and crimes against international humanitarian law had occurred over a long period of time that included intimidation, terror, destruction of property, violence against women and forced removal" At the same time the UN sent three special rapporteurs to Timor-Leste in December 1999. These special human rights envoys recommended for the UN to establish an International Court if the Indonesian government fails to effectively bring the main perpetrators of crimes to justice.

When the ICIET released its report, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson stated that "the report of the Commission of Inquiry has sent a message to the people of Timor-Leste that the international community has not forgotten their suffering. I hope that those that are responsible for the atrocities committed in Timor-Leste are held accountable so that there is no impunity"

However, until now the perpetrators have not yet been held accountable for the human rights violations that they committed. More disappointingly, cases involving serious crimes are starting to be forgotten and ignored. How can the chain of impunity be broken if there is no formal process to try the main perpetrators of human rights violations that occurred in Timor-Leste during the occupation? 

Therefore, ANTI calls for and demands the commitment of the international community to provide accountability for violations that occurred in Timor-Leste during the Indonesian occupation via a fair and credible process.

1. We request for the international community, including the people of America, England, France, Holland, Norway, Germany, Australia and Latin America, Africa and Asia to be morally responsible in accordance with international humanitarian law. ETAN and Amnesty International in particular need to keep focusing attention and following up on serious crimes cases that occurred in Timor-Leste.
    
2. We urge the donors to pay attention to crimes against humanity that occurred in Timor-Leste during the occupation by the Indonesian military to ensure that there is a legitimate process to break the chain of impunity because problems from the past will reflect on the development of democracy now and in the future.

ANTI considers that it is unfair for the international community to once again abandon us, and make that people of Timor-Leste the ones who have to be responsible for demanding accountability for human rights violations that occurred in Timor-Leste.

Dili, 20 June 2013

Members:

1. Asosiasaun HAK
2. JSMP (Judicial System Monitoring Program)
3. La'o Hamutuk
4. Fokupers
5. Asosiasaun Chega ba Ita (Acbit)
6. MDI
7. CDI
8. Luta Hamutuk
9. Kadalak Sulimutu Institutu (KSI)
10. Asososiaun Vitima 74-99
11. Timor-Leste Student Front
12. Forum Tau Matan (FTM)
13. Sek. Fongtil
14. Haberan Institute
15. Asean Justice and Rights (AJAR) - Timor-Leste

see also Human Rights & Justice page

• ANTI: Joint Statement on International Day for the Right to the Truth and Justice for Victims: ANTI demands for the State of Timor-Leste to not ignore the rights of victims
• As UN Meets on Anniversary of Massacre ETAN Urges UN and U.S. to Act for Justice for Timor-Leste (November 12, 2012)
• ANTI/Amnesty International: Tackling Impunity in Timor-Leste and Indonesia: Justice Is the Only Way, Statement to Commemorate November 12, 2012
• La'o Hamutuk: Ultimate letter to the UN Security Council about justice, sustainable development and not forgetting Timor-Leste (November
• ANTI: Letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on UN responsibility for justice (August 14)
• ANTI: Timor-Leste demands justice - “Because we love peace, and we want the truth to strengthen reconciliation” (May 18)
• 10 Years After Timor's Independence, Where Is the Justice? (May16)