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ACTION
- Indonesia
16 April 2002
Dear Friends,
I am sending you the latest update from Jakarta. There are two main issues:
1. While
seven (7) of the militia attackers have been arrested, civil society organizations want the removal
of the chair of the militias from the
National Advisory Council in which he sits as
member. The Council gives advise to the President Megawati
Sukarnoputri herself
2. Jakarta City Governor Sutiyoso, the police and military continue to
disregard the 21 March 2002 decision of the Jakarta Central Court ordering them
to stop confiscating the means of livelihood of the poor people such as
pedicabs, arresting them and streetchildren, and forcibly evicting urban
poor communities and facilities.
The exhilarating news of urban poor people acting as lawyers and winning
their case in court should be an occasion of joy, something one rarely hears
taking place in other Asian cities.
The Indonesian people have
courageously broken the authoritarian shackles of the Suharto regime.
They deserve all of our support in their efforts to remove the powerful and deeply entrenched vestiges
of authoritarianism and to institute
pro-people and pro-poor reforms in their society.
So please write to President Megawati and other Indonesian authorities
and international bodies such as the UN Commission on Human Rights which is
presently meeting until 20 April. Other actions could protest visits to the
Indonesian embassy in your country/city.
Below is a sample letter you may
find useful.
In solidarity with the poor of Jakarta,
Ted Anana
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16 April 2002
Dear Ted,
In light of the eviction issue, the urban poor took the matter to the court, the court session
started on 10 October 2001. The court decision was issued on 21 March, among the
verdict of which are: (1) the court decides that the governor, the chief police
of Jakarta and the chief military of Jakarta have violated the law by forcibly
evicting and confiscating the means of living of the urban poor and arresting
them; (2) the court rules that the
governor should stop the confiscation of becak, the eviction of squatters and
poor communities and facilities of side street economic activities, and the
arrest of street children.
The lawyers of the urban poor are
paralegals from among themselves: Mr. Jhon Silaban (an eviction victim), Mrs.
Musimah (a vegetable vendor and becak coordinator), Mr. J. Simorangkir (an
evicition victim), Mr. Fx. Wilaki (becak driver), Mr. Nasro Haris (becak
driver), Mrs. Rohimah (a housewife, wife of a becak driver), Mr. Rasdullah
(becak driver), Mrs. Siti Sopiah (an eviction victim), Mrs. Wanipah (food
vendor), Mr. Sadar (becak driver). The judges are Mr. I Nengah Suriada, Mr.
Nuhammad Daming Sanusi, Mr. Iskandar Tjakke. Despite the court ruling, the
governor continues, until today, to confiscate becak and evict poor settlements.
In light of the attack on 28 March 2002,
seven (7) of the attackers are now in police custody as the accused. The NGOs
and the media are pushing hard to get the chair of the Forum Betawi Rempug
arrested, but due to his status as a member of the National Advisory Council, a
national body that gives advice to the president, his arrest will need a formal
permission from the president. We are trying to get him sacked from the Council.
Fifteen of the urban poor become witnesses and are giving testimonies to the
police.
In solidarity,
wardah
Sample letter:
16 April 2002
Mrs. Megawati Sukarnoputri
President, Republic
of Indonesia
Presidential Palace, Jakarta
Istana Negara, Indonesia.
Fax: (62 21) 345 7782
Dear Madame President,
Our organization has learned that twice - 13 March and 28 March - armed militias of the United Betawi Front attacked urban poor people asserting
their rights of statement and assembly.
The first attack took place in front of
Jakarty City hall, while the second took place in front of the Indonesian Human Rights Commission in
full view of television cameras. In both
cases the militias armed with knives, swords, stones and wooden clubs assaulted the peaceful rallies
indiscriminately. Many of those hurt were women and children. In both instances they wanted to harm the
leaders, including Ms. Wardah Hafidz, the head of Urban Poor Consortium.
They destroyed properties such, the
sound system of the rallyists and a van, and smashed the windows of the
Commission.
What makes the second militia attack doubly disturbing is the fact that
the poor people were at the Commission on Human Rights to ask how the 21 March
2002 decision of the Jakarta Central Court is to be implemented in the face
of its non-compliance by the Jakarta
City government, the police and the military.
The said court decision ordered them to stop confiscating the means of
economic activities of the poor,
arresting them and the streetchildren and forcibly evicting them from
their settlements and other facilities.
We also learned that the chair of the United Betawi Front is a member of
the National Advisory Council that provides you advice.
While the arrest of seven of the
armed militias is a positive
development, we sincerely urge your
Excellency to take measures that will end the rampages of the armed militias, to
punish those found guilty and to remove any impression that the militias have links to or influence with
government.
We also sincerely urge your
Excellency to ensure that the 21 March 2002 court decision should be complied
with by the regional government of
Jakarta, the police and military. Courts, as you well know, are an essential
part of the democratic system and should be accorded full respect.
Respectfully yours,
Name
Organization
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CC:
Governor Sutiyoso
Gedung Balaikota,
21st Floor,
Jl. Medan Merdeka
Selatan No. 8-9, Jakarta 10110
INDONESIA
PH:
(62-21) 344-7005 or 345-6058
FAX: (62-21) 384-8653
Marsillam Simandjuntak, SH
Attorney General of
Indonesia
Attorney General's Office
Jakarta, INDONESIA
FAX: (62 21)
720 8557
Mr. Ihza
Mahendra YUSRIL
Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Uahi Utoyo Usman
S.H., Menteri Kehkiman,
JI. H.R. Rosuna Said Kav. 6-7,
Kuningan, Jakarta
Selatan, Indonesia
Fax: 62-21- 525 3095
Gen. Surojo
Bimantoro
National Chief of Police
Jl. Trunojoyo
No. 3 Kebayoran
Baru
Jakart Selatan
Indonesia
Tel: +(6221) 721 8001
Fax: +(6221)
720 7277
Mr.
Asmara Nababan
Secretary General
Komnas HAM (National Commission for
Human Rights)
Jl. Latuharhary No. 4B Menteng
Jakarta Pusat INDONESIA
FAX: (62 21) 392 5227
EMAIL: info@komnas.go.id
Ms. Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the Secretary-General on
the situation of human rights defenders
c/o OHCHR-UNOG, 1211 Geneva 10,
Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 917 9006
webadmin.hchr@unog.ch
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