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!!
