Jose Ramos Horta promises to ratify Convention on Enforced Disappearances this year

25 November 2009, Dili, East Timor

“Every family in my country has someone disappeared. I myself have two brothers who disappeared.”
These were words of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta in a meeting yesterday with the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) whose local member is HAK Association. The president made a clear commitment that he would undertake all efforts to sign and ratify this international treaty before the end of 2009. He noted that had he been alerted earlier, the government of Timor-Leste could have already been a state party.

The team, which also included a representative from the Latin American Federation of Associations of Relatives of Disappeared – Detainees (FEDEFAM), asked the President to facilitate that Timor-Leste be one of the first 20 countries to ratify the international treaty which provides the right to truth and the right not to be subjected to enforced disappearances.

The AFAD Chairperson, Mugiyanto said that the Indonesian and the Timor-Leste- governments established a Truth and Friendship Commission. The joint c2ommission, which recommends the establishment of a Commission on Disappearances, will be guided by the treaty, if ratified.

Khurram Parvez of the AFAD member-organization in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir greeted Pres. Ramos-Horta with admiration as the latter is considered by the Kashmiri people who are fighting for independence, as an icon. Looking up to Pres. Ramos-Horta as exemplary world leader, Parvez appealed to the president to ratify the international treaty and for the president to appeal to other Nobel Peace Laureates and other Asian heads of states to endorse the treaty criminalizing enforced disappearances. President Ramos-Horta assured that he would write to other heads of states and Nobel Peace Prize winners.

To date, the Convention has been signed by more than 80 governments and 16 states. To enter into force, it needs 4 more ratifications. If Timor-Leste is a party to this Convention within this year, it will mark history to be one of the first 20 countries to ratify it.

If realized, the ratification of East Timor will go a long way towards helping the victims of conflict who continue to cry for truth, justice, reparation and the reconstruction of their historical memory.

The delegation is composed of Mugiyanto (IKOHI-Indonesia), Mary Aileen D. Bacalso (Secretary-General, Philippines), Khurram Parvez (APDP-Kashmir); Rosanna Santos Contreras (Philippines); Ruth Llanos vda. de Navarro (FEDEFAM-Bolivia). The AFAD is a regional federation of human rights organizations working directly on the issue of enforced disappearances with nine members from 7 Asian countries.

Signed and authenticated by:


MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO
AFAD Secretary-General


RUTH LLANOS VDA. DE NAVARRO
Secretary of Projects-FEDEFAM

Attending the Founding Congres of Families of Victims of Disappearances in Aceh

Banda Aceh - On October 10 - 12, 2009, 210 survivors and families of victims of disappearances from 10 regencies in Aceh carried out a founding Congress. The result was the establishment of an organization of families of disappearances in Aceh Province called "KAGUNDAH" (Acehnese language) which stands for Families of Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

Observers from various human rights organzations were presents, including Mugiyanto, who represent Indonesian Association of Families of the Disappeared (IKOHI) and Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), accompanied by Wanma Yetty and Utomo Rahardjo representing IKOHI Jakarta and East Java.

Elected by the Congress to become the Secretary-General of KAGUNDAH was Rukayah from Aceh Besar regencies whose younger disappeared in 1990's. Like what Rukayah said, the establishment of KAGUNDAH was an initial step to strengthen the capacity of the families of victims to struggle for truth, justice and reparations in Aceh in particular and Indonesia in general.

Long live KAGUNDAH!!

House urges justice for kidnapped activistsThe Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 09/29/2009 1:16 PM | National


Parliament has called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to form a human rights court to try the cases of rights activists kidnapped in 1997.

The House of Representatives also urged Yudhoyono to find out what happened to the 13 kidnapped activists, who remain missing.

Compensation for their families should also be paid, the House went on, while the government should ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.

The House made the call Monday, following recommendations by its special committee on the kidnapping cases.

"Attorney General Hendarman Supandji must continue the investigation with the National Commission on Human Rights so that the suspects can be taken to court," said committee chairman Effendi Simbolon. "The court should be established by presidential decree."

After the session, relatives of the missing activists presented Effendi with a white rose "to symbolize their respect for his leadership of the committee," detik.com reported.

Effendi told The Jakarta Post the calls were made after a discussion of the cases with the human rights commission, various human rights NGOs and families of the missing activists.

"The committee didn't make any investigation of its own, but we based our recommendations on the human rights commission's investigation," he said.

He added the committee had tried to summon government officials to confirm facts in the case.

The committee had invited Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo A.S., Indonesian Military Chief Gen. Djoko Santoso, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji, State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir Siregar, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono, and Justice and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalata.

"None of the officials accepted our invitation," Effendi said.

"We sent a letter to the President to urge the officials to come, but he didn't give any clear instructions."

He added the committee had also planned to summon suspects in the kidnapping cases, but had refrained from doing so.

The suspects include failed vice-presidential candidates Wiranto, from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), and Prabowo Subianto, from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), as well as officers from the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus).

Mugiyanto, chairman of the Indonesian Association of Families of the Disappeared, said the families were satisfied with the House's stance.

"The House has done its part in making recommendations to the government," he said.

"Now we hope the government will act on the recommendations."

He said forming a human rights court was important, since the Attorney General's Office had repeatedly postponed any investigation due to the lack of an ad-hoc court.

Mugiyanto, also kidnapped but latter released in 1997, said finding the activists was the main concern of the families.

"At the very least, the truth about their fate must be unveiled," he said.

"If Indonesia doesn't want to be burdened with past human rights violations, this step must be taken."

Mugiyanto said he hoped Yudhoyono would follow up on the recommendations within the first 100 days after his inauguration. (mrs)

Source: The Jakarta Post, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/09/29/house-urges-justice-kidnapped-activists.html

DPR Rekomendasikan Penyelesaian Kasus Penghilangan 1997-1998

Pansus Keluarkan 4 RekomendasiKeluarga Korban Berharap Paripurna Mendukung
Rabu, 16 September 2009 | 03:16 WIB

Jakarta, Kompas - Panitia Khusus Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat untuk Penanganan Peristiwa Penghilangan Orang secara Paksa Tahun 1997-1998, Selasa (15/9), akhirnya memutuskan empat rekomendasi.

Pertama, merekomendasikan kepada Presiden untuk membentuk Pengadilan Hak Asasi Manusia Ad Hoc.

Kedua, merekomendasikan kepada Presiden serta segenap institusi pemerintah dan pihak-pihak terkait untuk segera melakukan pencarian terhadap 13 orang yang oleh Komnas HAM masih dinyatakan hilang.

Ketiga, merekomendasikan kepada pemerintah untuk merehabilitasi dan memberikan kompensasi kepada keluarga korban yang hilang.

Keempat, merekomendasikan kepada pemerintah agar segera meratifikasi Konvensi Antipenghilangan Paksa sebagai bentuk komitmen dan dukungan untuk menghentikan praktik penghilangan paksa di Indonesia.

Rekomendasi itu disampaikan Wakil Ketua Pansus Darmayanto dari Fraksi Partai Amanat Nasional dan dilaporkan pada Rapat Konsultasi Pimpinan DPR dan Pimpinan Fraksi, Selasa sore, sebagai pengganti Rapat Badan Musyawarah.

Dalam rapat yang dipimpin langsung oleh Ketua DPR Agung Laksono dan dihadiri seluruh fraksi itu, laporan pansus disetujui untuk disahkan di Rapat Paripurna, 28 September 2009.

”Doakan saja semoga lancar di Paripurna nanti,” ujar Darmayanto.

Anggota Pansus dari Fraksi Kebangkitan Bangsa, Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, optimistis bahwa mayoritas DPR akan menerima rekomendasi pansus dalam Rapat Paripurna mendatang. ”Mayoritas anggota DPR itu masih punya nurani. Mereka pasti mendukung,” ujarnya.

Willa Chandrawilla dari Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan juga menegaskan, rekomendasi pansus sejalan dengan rekomendasi yang dihasilkan Komnas HAM.

”Kami sangat percaya dengan laporan Komnas HAM yang tebalnya 1.074 halaman itu,” katanya.

Kado DPR
Ketua Ikatan Keluarga Orang Hilang Indonesia (IKOHI) menyambut gembira rekomendasi pansus. ”Ini bukan saja kado Lebaran buat keluarga korban, tapi juga kado DPR yang akan segera mengakhiri masa tugasnya. Bagi kami, ini angin segar dan harapan baru,” tegasnya.

IKOHI berharap, keputusan yang sudah berpihak pada korban ini pun tidak ditelikung dan dimentahkan lagi di Rapat Paripurna. Setelah disahkan di Rapat Paripurna, Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono dapat segera menindaklanjutinya.

Sebagai tanda dukungan terhadap pansus, IKOHI pun berencana mengajak para keluarga korban untuk menyaksikan Rapat Paripurna.

Dia pun berharap 550 anggota DPR dapat hadir di Rapat Paripurna yang akan menorehkan catatan sejarah baru bagi penegakan hak asasi manusia di Indonesia.

23 hilang

Komnas HAM mencatat 23 orang dihilangkan oleh alat-alat negara selama periode 1997-1998. Dari jumlah itu, satu orang ditemukan meninggal (Leonardus Gilang), sembilan orang dilepaskan penculiknya, dan 13 lainnya masih hilang hingga hari ini.

Ke-13 aktivis yang masih hilang adalah Petrus Bima Anugrah, Herman Hendrawan, Suyat, Wiji Thukul, Yani Afri, Sonny, Dedi Hamdun, Noval Al Katiri, Ismail, Ucok Siahaan, Hendra Hambali, Yadin Muhidin, dan Abdun Nasser.

Sembilan aktivis yang dilepaskan adalah Desmond Junaidi Mahesa, Haryanto Taslam, Pius Lustrilanang, Faisol Reza, Rahardjo Walujo Djati, Nezar Patria, Aan Rusdianto, Mugianto, dan Andi Arief. (sut)

Sumber: http://cetak.kompas.com/read/xml/2009/09/16/03165951/pansus.keluarkan.4.rekomendasi

40 Years of Silence, An Indonesian Tragedy film Screening

Speaking at the public screening of the documentary film "40 Years of Silence, An Indonesian Tragedy" at the Goethe House on July 23, 2009, in Jakarta

Further news about the documentary film, see www.40yearsofsilence.com and www.offstream.tv