Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 07/15/2008 10:36 AM | Headlines
Many Indonesians will recall the serial murders of alleged criminals more than 25 years ago as the National Commission on Human Rights this week launches an investigation into the killings.
The commission's deputy chairman for external affairs Hesti Armiwulan said Monday its ad hoc team would start seeking evidence to determine whether gross human rights violations had occurred.
Known as penembakan misterius (mysterious shootings), or Petrus, the incidents revolved around the execution of alleged criminals without trial between 1983 and 1985, which then president Soeharto said in his biography was "shock therapy" he himself condoned.
Almost every day, corpses with gunshot wounds were found in streets, rivers, forests or open spaces for the public to see during the anti-crime drive.
The rights body estimates the operation claimed between 6,000 and 8,000 lives.
To kick-start the investigation, the rights commission members on Monday heard the testimony of Bathi Mulyono, a former Golkar Party member who claimed to have survived a number of murder attempts during the three-year crackdown.
Bathi told the hearing that not all of the victims were criminals.
"Some of them were named political foes of the (New Order) regime and came under the target of elimination," Bathi said.
He said he was responsible for the 1982 riot in Lapangan Banteng in Central Jakarta as part of a campaign to discredit the United Development Party (PPP), the strongest rival of the ruling Golkar in Jakarta, ahead of the election.
He said he and his friends were hunted down and experienced many threats following the riot, which he suspected were part of the regime's attempts to remove evidence.
"Some of my friends were killed in front of their family members, while I managed to escape and hide for many years," he said.
"Now that this case is opened for investigation, I hope the truth of history can be revealed."
Edwin Partogi of the Commission for Missing People and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said the rights group had filed the report on the alleged extrajudicial killings to the rights body in January.
Kontras' initial investigation found the murders occurred in 11 provinces: Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta, South Sumatra, Lampung, North Sumatra, Bali, West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan. In Jakarta alone some 1,300 victims were identified between 1982 and 1984.
Hesti said the rights body's investigation would last six months.
"We can extend it if necessary," she said, adding the commission expected support from the Attorney General's Office and the House of Representatives to bring the case to an ad hoc human rights court.
Many Indonesians will recall the serial murders of alleged criminals more than 25 years ago as the National Commission on Human Rights this week launches an investigation into the killings.
The commission's deputy chairman for external affairs Hesti Armiwulan said Monday its ad hoc team would start seeking evidence to determine whether gross human rights violations had occurred.
Known as penembakan misterius (mysterious shootings), or Petrus, the incidents revolved around the execution of alleged criminals without trial between 1983 and 1985, which then president Soeharto said in his biography was "shock therapy" he himself condoned.
Almost every day, corpses with gunshot wounds were found in streets, rivers, forests or open spaces for the public to see during the anti-crime drive.
The rights body estimates the operation claimed between 6,000 and 8,000 lives.
To kick-start the investigation, the rights commission members on Monday heard the testimony of Bathi Mulyono, a former Golkar Party member who claimed to have survived a number of murder attempts during the three-year crackdown.
Bathi told the hearing that not all of the victims were criminals.
"Some of them were named political foes of the (New Order) regime and came under the target of elimination," Bathi said.
He said he was responsible for the 1982 riot in Lapangan Banteng in Central Jakarta as part of a campaign to discredit the United Development Party (PPP), the strongest rival of the ruling Golkar in Jakarta, ahead of the election.
He said he and his friends were hunted down and experienced many threats following the riot, which he suspected were part of the regime's attempts to remove evidence.
"Some of my friends were killed in front of their family members, while I managed to escape and hide for many years," he said.
"Now that this case is opened for investigation, I hope the truth of history can be revealed."
Edwin Partogi of the Commission for Missing People and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said the rights group had filed the report on the alleged extrajudicial killings to the rights body in January.
Kontras' initial investigation found the murders occurred in 11 provinces: Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta, South Sumatra, Lampung, North Sumatra, Bali, West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan. In Jakarta alone some 1,300 victims were identified between 1982 and 1984.
Hesti said the rights body's investigation would last six months.
"We can extend it if necessary," she said, adding the commission expected support from the Attorney General's Office and the House of Representatives to bring the case to an ad hoc human rights court.
