UPDATE (INDONESIA): Renewed attack on Komnas HAM to stop 1965 inquiry 

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal Case: UP-18-2003
ISSUES:

Dear Friends

On the 20th of May, 1,000 civilian militias arrived at the headquarters of the National Human Rights Commission of Indonesia (Komnas HAM) to threaten violence if the investigation into the 1965 massacre is continued.  Further details are provided below.  We urge you to go to spend 2 minutes to go to AHRC’s online email facility at http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/indonesia1965/send.html to instantly send a letter to the Commissioners of Komnas HAM to demand that the inquiry continue, so that the millions of survivors, victims and families can have a chance to find justice after so many years.

UPDATE

In our previous appeal (UA-10-2003 http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2003/441/) we reported that a group of 500 members of a civilian militia group had gone to the headquarters of Komnas HAM to pressure the Commissioners to drop the investigation into the 1965-66 massacre, in addition to other pressure from military leaders and university professors.  The investigation team was to present its first report on 15th May.  The inquiry has been given a short extension for its report, and will now present its findings on the 6th June.  The team is expected to state that the massacres and political imprisonments constitute a gross violation of human rights.

However, those opposed to the investigation of this crime against humanity have stepped up their campaign to quash the inquiry.  They have sent twice as many militiamen – 1,000 members of the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (a renowned armed civilian militia group sponsored by the military and Suharto’s cronies, who were also responsible for an attack we reported last year on the Urban Poor Consortium – see http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/217/) have descended on Komnas HAM to threaten violence if the inquiry is continued.

ACTION

If you have not already done so, we urge you to write to the Commissioners of Komnas HAM and demand that this inquiry continue.  You can do so very quicly and easily by going to the website http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/indonesia1965/send.html – or you can send your own letter by email or fax as follows.

SEND LETTERS TO

Fax: +62 21 392 5227
E-mail addresses of secretaries:
johana.nunik@komnasham.go.id
sriyana@komnasham.go.id
nunik_soeharto@yahoo.com
Telephone: +62 21 392 5230
Address: JL No 4B, Jakarta Pusat
Jakarta 13310
INDONESIA

Mark your letter to the Commissioners as follows

FOR THE URGENT ATTENTION OF:

COMMISSIONER DJOKO SOEGIANTO
COMMISSIONER KOESPARMONO IRSAN
COMMISSIONER LIES SUGONDO
COMMISSIONER ZOEMROTIN
COMMISSIONER M.M. BILLAH
COMMISSIONER CHANDRA SETIAWAN
COMMISSIONER AHMAD ALI
COMMISSIONER ENNY SUPRAPTO
COMMISSIONER TAHERY NOOR
COMMISSIONER M. HABIB CHIRZIN
COMMISSIONER H. AMIDHAN
COMMISSIONER M. SAID NISAR
COMMISSIONER SAMSUDIN
COMMISSIONER SAFROEDIN BAHAR
COMMISSIONER M. FARID
COMMISSIONER MANSOUR FAKIH
COMMISSIONER RUSWIATI SURYAPUTRA
COMMISSIONER HASBALAH M. SAAD
COMMISSIONER YUWALDI
COMMISSIONER HASTO ATMOJO SUROYO
COMMISSIONER ANSHARI TAYIP
COMMISSIONER SALAHUDIN WAHID
COMMISSIONER ABDUL HAKIM GARUDA

The head of the overall inquiry into the crimes during the Suharto period is: Mr. M.M. Billah – Email: <cepesm@plasa.com>

 

SUGGESTED LETTER

 

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Commissioner


I understand that you are currently considering whether to continue investigation of the 1965 massacre.  There can be no question that this massacre is in fact a Crime against Humanity, and deserves serious investigation leading to the formation of an effective human rights tribunal to call those responsible to account.  The millions of victims and families who have survived deserve no less than this.  I am aware that you are facing a lot of pressure to stop the investigation, which is common to every investigation into such a widespread crime.  However, to finish the inquiry before it has even properly begun would be a further insult to the memories of the innocent thousands who were murdered, the tortured and aging survivors and the family members who still don't know what happened to their disappeared relatives.  I therefore demand that you continue this inquiry in as official and well resourced a manner as possible.  To not do so would be to completely undermine any other work Komnas HAM may take up, as to condone a Crime against Humanity would be to abandon any hope for human rights in Indonesia.

Sincerely
_________

Document Type : Urgent Appeal Update
Document ID : UP-18-2003
Countries : Indonesia,