Subject: RT: AI Says Indonesia Losing Sight Of Human
Rights
Date: Sun, 06 Dec 1998 13:06:28 -0500
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>Amnesty Says Indonesia Losing
Sight Of Human Rights Dec 05, 1998
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Amnesty International said Saturday the Indonesian government was
failing to live up to its pledges on human rights and democracy and was resorting to
repressive measures used by former President Suharto's regime.
``The government's response to recent demonstrations and riots shows a striking
similarity to the repressive methods employed by the former Suharto regime,'' the
London-based human rights group said in a report issued in Australia.
Amnesty said President B.J. Habibie had come to power in May 1998 with a high- profile
agenda for political and human rights reform which had delivered early positive results.
These included the release of 120 political prisoners and the opening up of Indonesia
and the province of East Timor, annexed by Indonesia in 1976, to United Nations officials.
``Six months later, the Indonesian government appears to have lost sight of its
commitments to respect human rights and for greater transparency and political
participation,'' it said.
``In particular, excessive and lethal force has been used against demonstrators and
rioters and individuals are being threatened with criminal charges for their peaceful
political activities,'' it said.
Indonesia, facing an acute social, political and economic upheaval, Thursday said it
would hold general elections in June 1998.
It also promised to speed up an investigation into Suharto's wealth, the focus of
mounting student protests amid estimates the former president's family amassed a fortune
of up to $40 billion during his reign.
Friday, a senior government official said Suharto could be placed under house arrest
during a probe into his wealth.
Amnesty said Indonesia should bring to justice those responsible for the deaths in May
1998 in Jakarta of four Trisakti University students, which sparked riots that brought an
end to the 32-year Suharto rule. At least 1,200 people during the riots.
It said Suharto's son-in-law, Lieutenant-General Prabowo Subianto had been dismissed
from the military over the disappearance of nine political activists but noted that
Prabowo and two fellow senior officers had not been brought to trial.
``In both cases, the investigations have been only partial and those responsible for
the violations have not yet been brought to justice,'' it said.
``Moreover, 13 other political activists who 'disappeared' between April 1997 and May
1998 are still missing and the investigation into their 'disappearance' appears to have
halted,'' it said.
Amnesty said it was concerned about continued killings and other human rights abuses
against independence activists in East Timor and other the troubled provinces of Irian
Jaya, on New Guinea island, and Aceh, in northern Sumatra.
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