Media Release
Indonesia: Remove
indicted colonel from West Papua
Crimes against humanity suspect a threat to Papuans
Contacts:
- Australia: Matthew Jamieson, Institute for Papuan Advocacy
and Human Rights; +61 418291998; matthew@hr.minihub.org
- UK: Paul Barber, TAPOL, +44 1420 80153; plovers@gn.apc.org
- US: John M Miller, ETAN, +1 917 690 4391; etan@etan.org
28 June 2007 – The presence in Papua of a senior Indonesian army
officer indicted on crimes against humanity charges in East Timor
(now Timor-Leste) endangers human rights defenders and political
activists and is a sign of the Indonesian government’s lack of
commitment to justice and accountability a coalition of Indonesian
and international human rights organisations said today.
In an open letter to President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono of Indonesia, the organisations called for Col.
Burhanuddin Siagian, commander of the Jayapura sub-regional military
command (Korem 172) in Papua, to be withdrawn immediately and
suspended from active duty. They urged the Indonesian government to
review all evidence against Col. Siagian and other high-level East
Timor suspects to determine whether proceedings should be commenced
and to extradite to East Timor those indicted by Dili’s Special
Panel for Serious Crimes.
"It is shocking that a government supposedly committed to military
reform and fighting impunity would appoint an indicted officer to a
sensitive senior post in Papua,” said Paula Makabory, the
spokesperson for the Institute for Human Rights Study & Advocacy
West Papua ELS-HAM.
Papuans will continue to have their rights trampled on until the
civilian authorities exert control over military behaviour and
ensure accountability for past abuses,” she added.
Responding to Papuan demands for a review of their history, Col.
Siagian last month reportedly threatened to “destroy” anyone who
“betrays” Indonesia. This echoes similar statements he allegedly
made when based in Maliana as military commander of the Bobonaro
district of East Timor. Two indictments issued in 2003 state that he
made speeches threatening to kill East Timorese independence
supporters and was responsible for the deaths of seven men in April
1999 (See
http://jsmp.minihub.org/indictmentspdf/Cailacoindnannexeng07feb03)
and
http://jsmp.minihub.org/indictmentspdf/Maliana_Burhanuddin22_7_03.pdf)
The organisations pointed out that Papuans who campaign
peacefully are not betraying Indonesia as alleged by Col. Siagian,
but simply asserting their right to express their political views.
It called upon President Yudhoyono to show his commitment to freedom
of expression and support this right.
Col. Siagian is not the only person accused of serious crimes in
East Timor who has continued in an active position of command
responsibility. In April this year,
Major General
Noer Muis, former military commander of East Timor,
controversially co-directed a joint military training exercise with
the United States. In 2003, Timbul Silaen was appointed chief of
police in Papua despite being indicted on charges arising from his
occupation of the same position in East Timor in 1999. A number of
senior suspects, including Major-General Adam Damiri former military
commander of the East Timor region, were involved in military
operations in Aceh.
Indonesia’s ad hoc human rights court tried 18 defendants (not
including Col. Siagian) on charges relating to crimes against
humanity in East Timor, but the proceedings were widely regarded as
a sham. Twelve defendants were acquitted and five had their
convictions overturned on appeal. The only conviction still standing
is that of East Timorese militia leader, Eurico Guterres. The
UN-established serious crimes process in East Timor indicted 392
suspects, but Indonesia refused to co-operate and more than 70 per
cent of those indicted, including all the non-East Timorese
nationals, remain free in Indonesia.
We are dismayed by Indonesia’s lack of respect for the rule of
law and its apparent determination to perpetuate a cycle of impunity
that encourages military personnel to believe they will escape
justice for past and future violations of human rights,” said
Matthew Jamieson Secretary of the Institute for Papuan Advocacy &
Human Rights in Australia. “Indonesia has failed to keep its
obligations under international law and Indonesian domestic law to
prosecute Col Siagian for his alleged crimes.”
-30-
see also:
ABC Radio Australia Connect Asia:
Military role in Papua challenged - 30/07/2007
also in
Bahasa Indonesia
Open letter
to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono concerning Col. Cav.
Burhanuddin Siagian, Commander of the Resort Military Command 172/PWY
Jayapura, Papua
28 June 2007
Dear President Yudhoyono,
We are writing to express our grave concern about the tenure of
Col. Burhanuddin Siagian as commander of the Jayapura sub-regional
military command (Korem 172/ PWY/Jayapura) in Papua. Col. Siagian
has been indicted twice for crimes against humanity in East Timor
(now Timor-Leste).
Indonesia has not complied with its obligations under
international law and Indonesian domestic law to prosecute Col.
Siagian for his alleged crimes, and it has furthermore failed to
extradite him to East Timor for trial. Instead he has been promoted
and appointed to command a large military unit within a highly
sensitive area.
We are concerned that Col. Siagian represents a serious threat to
Papuans and that the lives of Papuan human rights defenders and
peaceful political activists may be endangered by his continued
presence as commander of Korem 172.
According to a report in the Cenderawasih Pos on 12 May 2007, Col
Siagian threatened to destroy anyone who betrays Indonesia: “If I
meet anyone who has enjoyed the facilities that belong to the state,
but who still betrays the nation, I honestly will destroy him”. The
statement was reportedly made in response to demands by students and
youths for a review of Papua’s history.
We are disturbed that this threat to Papuan activists echoes
similar statements allegedly made by Col. Siagian when he was
commander of the Bobonaro District Military Command (Kodim 1636),
Maliana in East Timor. Those statements appear to have led directly
to the deaths of a number of Timorese civilians. According to the
indictments issued by the Special Panel for Serious Crimes of Dili
District Court on 3 February 2003 (‘the Cailaco indictment) and 10
July 2003 (‘the Maliana indictment’), Col Siagian made public
speeches threatening to kill supporters of Timor-Leste’s
independence and was responsible for the death of seven men in April
19991. He is charged with individual
responsibility and command responsibility for the following crimes
against humanity: torture; murder; persecution; and deportation or
forcible transfer of a civilian population. He is also thought to
have been responsible for the creation of the Bobonaro militia
system that became one of the most repressive in the whole of East
Timor.
Col. Siagian is named as a suspect in the report of Indonesia’s
own Commission of Investigation into Human Rights Violations in East
Timor (Komisi Penyelidik Pelanggaran HAM di Timor Timur, KPP-HAM),
which investigated human rights abuses in Timor-Leste during the
period from 1 January to 25 October 1999.
We are dismayed that Indonesia’s failure to hold Col. Siagian and
others to account encourages military personnel to believe they will
continue to escape justice for serious crimes and seriously
undermines Indonesia’s progress towards becoming a country that
fully respects human rights and the rule of law.
This failure of accountability, and the continued active service
in positions of command responsibility of senior officers accused of
serious crimes, are indicative of a structural problem of impunity
within the Indonesian army (TNI, Tentara Nasional Indonesia) and a
lack of political will to address the problem that have not been
addressed since the TNI withdrew from East Timor. Meaningful
military reform will not be possible until serious efforts are made
to end this cycle of impunity.
Irrespective of his record in East Timor, we believe that Col.
Siagian is entirely unsuited to the sensitive position of Korem 172.
Your government has stated that it is committed to the peaceful
resolution of the Papua conflict. This policy is clearly undermined
by belligerent statements by local military commanders. Papuans who
campaign peacefully are not ‘betraying’ Indonesia as alleged in Col.
Siagian’s statement of May 2007; they are simply asserting their
right to express their political views. We strongly hope that you,
as a democrat, would support their right to do this.
We believe this is a crucial test case of the Indonesian
Government’s ability to exert civilian control over the TNI and we
urge you to:
- Immediately withdraw Col. Siagian from Papua and suspend him
from active duty; all military or police officers who have been
indicted for crimes against humanity by the Special Panels for
Serious Crimes in Timor-Leste should be suspended from active
duty pending the outcome of criminal proceedings to determine
whether or not they are guilty of the charges against them.
- Review all available evidence, particularly in relation to
high-level suspects like Col, Siagian not previously indicted in
Indonesia, including evidence collected by the KPP-HAM report
and by the Serious Crimes Unit, to determine whether proceedings
should be commenced against suspects named therein;
- Extend full cooperation with judicial proceedings being
conducted in Timor-Leste, including entering into extradition
and mutual legal assistance agreements. Such cooperation should
include extraditing suspects against whom there are indictments.
We are grateful to you for your attention to this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Barber
For TAPOL UK
And on behalf of the following signatories:
Paula Makabory,
Coordinator in exile of International Human Rights Campaign, ELSHAM,
West Papua
Budi Hernawan
Director, Office of Justice and Peace, Catholic Diocese of Jayapura,
West Papua
Benny Wenda
Chairman of DeMMaK (The Koteka Tribal Assembly), West Papua
Usman Hamid
Coordinator, KONTRAS (the Commission for the disappeared and victims
of violence), Indonesia
Peongky Indarti,
Director of External Relations, IMPARSIAL (the Indonesian Human
Rights Monitor), Indonesia
Bonar Tigor Naipospos
Chairman, National Solidarity With Papua (SNUP) & Solidarity Without
Borders (SOLIDAMOR), Indonesia
Donatus Klaudius Marut
Executive Director, International NGO Forum for Indonesian
Development (INFID), Indonesia
Ines Martins,
Coordinator, La'o Hamutuk (Timor-Leste Institute or Reconstruction
Monitoring and Analysis).
Brad Adams
Director for Asia, Human Rights Watch
Matthew Jamieson
Secretary, Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights, Australia
Carmel Budiardjo
TAPOL, UK
John M. Miller
National Coordinator, East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, USA
Eko Waluyo
Program coordinator, Indonesian Solidarity, Sydney
Professor Peter King
Convener. West Papua Project, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies,
University of Sydney
Dr Clinton Fernandes,
Australian Coalition for Transitional Justice in East Timor
Paul O'Callaghan,
Director, Australian Council for International Development(ACFID)
Joe Collins
Secretary, Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
Dr Anne Noonan,
NSW Coordinator Medical Association for the Prevention of War (MAPW)
Australia
Ed McWilliams
West Papua Advocacy Team, US
Melinda Janki
International Lawyers for West Papua, UK
Richard Samuelson
Co-Director, Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, UK.
Maire Leadbeater,
Spokesperson, Indonesia Human Rights Committee, Auckland, New
Zealand
Gus Miclat
Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)
Monika Schlicher
Watch Indonesia!, Germany
Gabriel Jonsson
Chairman Swedish East Timor Committee and Board Member Swedish Free
Papua Association
Chuck Warpehoski,
Director, Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, US
William Ramsey,
Coordinator, Human Rights Action Service, St. Louis, US
Mary Whittlinger
Treasurer, America Ecumenical Moluccan Church, US
Rev. John Chamberlin,
National Coordinator, East Timor Religious Outreach, US
Rev. James Kofski
Asia/Pacific and Middle East Issues Maryknoll Office for Global
Concerns, Washington, D.C.
Tom Ricker,
Co-director, Haiti Reborn/Quixote Center, US
Sharon Silber and Eileen Weiss,
Co-founders, Jews Against Genocide, US
Elaine Donovan
Co-Founder, Concerned Citizens for Peace, Honeoy, NY
Roland Watson,
Founder, Dictator Watch, US
Joao Evangelita Lima Vidal (m), Carlito Mau Leto (m), Domingos Resi
Mau (m), Paulino Soares Antonio Soares (m), Jose Pau Lelo (m),
Antonio Soares (m), and Manuel Maulelo Araujo (m)
Bahasa Indonesia
Surat Terbuka kepada Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono tentang
Kolonel Kavaleri Burhanuddin Siagian, Komandan Komando Resort
Militer (KOREM) 172/PWY/Jayapura, Papua
28 Juni 2007
Yang Terhormat Presiden Yudhoyono,
Kami menulis surat ini untuk menyatakan keprihatinan kami yang
sangat mendalam mengenai penempatan Kolonel Kavaleri Burhanuddin
Siagian sebagai Komandan Korem 172/PWY/Jayapura, di Papua. Kolonel
Siagian telah didakwa dua kali atas kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan
di Timor –Timur (sekarang Timor Leste).
Indonesia telah tidak melaksanakan kewajibannya dibawah hukum
internasional dan hukum nasional untuk menuntut Kolonel Siagian atas
kejahatan yang dilakukannya, dan telah gagal menyerahkannya dalam
pemeriksaan pengadilan di Timor-Timur. Namun sebaliknya, ia
dipromosikan dan ditunjuk menjadi komandan sebuah komando resort
militer yang besar, dalam sebuah area yang sangat sensitif.
Kami khawatir bahwa Kolonel Siagian membawa ancaman serius
terhadap masyarakat Papua, dan kehadirannya sebagai Komandan Korem
172/PWY/Jayapura dapat membahayakan kehidupan para Pembela Hak Asasi
Manusia dan para aktivis politik di Papua yang berjuang dengan cara
damai.
Menurut laporan sebuah media massa lokal Cenderawasih Pos,
terbitan 12 Mei 2007, Kolonel Siagian telah mengancam untuk
menghancurkan siapa saja yang mengkhianati Indonesia: “ Jika saya
bertemu siapa saja yang telah menikmati fasilitas milik negara,
tetapi masih menghianati bangsa, saya dengan terus terang akan
menghancurkannya!”. Pernyataan tersebut dibuat sebagai tanggapan
dari keinginan para mahasiswa dan pelajar supaya dilakukan
peninjauan kembali terhadap sejarah Papua.
Kami merasa terganggu karena ancaman terhadap para aktivis di
Papua ini menyuarakan pernyataan yang sama yang diduga dibuat oleh
Kolonel Siagian, ketika ia masih menjabat sebagai Komandan Komando
Daerah Militer (KODIM 1636), Maliana, Distrik Bobonaro, di Timor-Timur.
Pernyataan-pernyataan itu diduga telah mengantar secara langsung
kematian sejumlah rakyat sipil Timor- Timur. Menurut dakwaan yang
dikeluarkan oleh Panel Khusus bagi Kejahatan Serius pada Pengadilan
Distrik Dili (Special Panel for Serious Crimes of Dili Distric
Court) pada tanggal 3 Februari 2003 ( ‘the Cailaco indictments’) dan
pada tanggal 10 Juli 2003 (‘the Maliana indictment’), Kolonel
Siagian didakwa telah membuat pidato-pidato umum yang mengancam akan
membunuh para pendukung kemerdekaan Timor-Timur dan bertanggungjawab
terhadap kematian 7 (tujuh) orang laki-laki pada bulan April 1999 .
Ia juga didakwa bertanggung jawab secara pribadi dan didakwa pula
untuk bertanggung jawab dalam memberi perintah terhadap kejahatan
kemanusiaan sebagai berikut: melakukan penyiksaan, pembunuhan,
penganiayaan, dan memindahan penduduk sipil dengan menggunakan
kekerasan secara paksa.
Kolonel Siagian juga bertanggungjawab atas pembentukan sistem
milisi Bobonaro yang merupakan salah satu milisi yang sangat
represif dan kejam di seluruh pelosok Timor-Timur.
Ia disebut sebagai salah satu tersangka dalam laporan Komisi
Penyelidik Pelanggaran HAM di Timor-Timur (KPP-HAM), yang melakukan
investigasi terhadap pelanggaran HAM di Timor-Leste selama periode 1
Januari sampai 25 Oktober 1999.
Kami merasa cemas bahwa kegagalan Indonesia dalam membawa Kolonel
Siagian dan para pelaku kejahatan kemanusiaan lainnya untuk dimintai
pertanggungjawaban akan mendorong dan meyakinkan personil militer
bahwa mereka tetap dapat menghindar dari keadilan terhadap kejahatan
serius yang dilakukan dan hal ini secara serius merusak kemajuan
Indonesia untuk menjadi sebuah negara yang secara penuh menghormati
hak-hak asasi manusia dan aturan hukum.
Kegagalan dalam menuntut pertanggungjawaban dan masih
diberikannya peluang melanjutkan tugas aktif dalam posisi sebagai
perwira senior yang dituduh bertanggungjawab dalam memberi perintah
terhadap kejahatan serius, menunjukan persoalan impunitas dalam
stuktur TNI belum dapat dihapuskan sejak penarikan TNI dari Timor
Timur. Reformasi militer yang berarti tidak akan mungkin
dilaksanakan sampai ada usaha-usaha serius yang dibuat untuk
mengakhiri lingkaran impunitas ini.
Terlepas dari catatan kriminalnya di Timor Timur, kami yakin
bahwa Kolonel Siagian secara keseluruhan tidak tepat untuk menjabat
posisi yang sensitif sebagai Komandan Korem 172/PWY/Jayapura, Papua.
Pemerintah Indonesia telah menyatakan komitmen untuk menjalankan
cara-cara damai dalam menyelesaikan konflik di Papua. Kebijakan ini
secara jelas dirusak dengan adanya pernyataan-pernyataan perang dan
permusuhan yang dilakukan oleh para komandan militer di daerah.
Masyarakat Papua yang melakukan kampanye secara damai tidak sedang
‘mengkhianati’ Indonesia sebagaimana yang dituduhkan oleh Kolonel
Siagian pada bulan Mei 2007; Mereka dengan sederhana hanya ingin
menyatakan hak-hak mereka untuk mengekspresikan pandangan-pandangan
politik mereka. Kami sangat berharap bahwa Bapak Presiden, sebagai
seorang demokrat akan mendukung hak mereka untuk melakukan hal ini.
Kami yakin ini merupakan suatu ujian yang kritis terhadap
kemampuan Pemerintah Indonesia dalam melaksanakan kontrol sipil
terhadap TNI dan kami mendesak Bapak Presiden untuk:
• Segera menarik Kolonel Siagian dari Papua dan menghentikannya
dari tugas aktif; semua perwira militer atau polisi yang didakwa
telah melakukan kekerasan terhadap kemanusiaan oleh Panel Khusus
bagi Kejahatan Serius di Timor-Leste harus diberhentikan dari tugas
aktif menunggu hasil dari laporan kejahatan untuk mempertimbangkan
apakah mereka bersalah atas tuduhan terhadap mereka.
• Memeriksa kembali semua bukti yang ada, khususnya yang
berhubungan dengan para terdakwa dengan pangkat tinggi, seperti
Kolonel Siagian, yang belum pernah didakwa di Indonesia, termasuk
bukti yang dikumpulkan dalam laporan KPP-HAM dan oleh Kesatuan
Kejahatan Serius, dan untuk memutuskan apakah harus dilakukan proses
hukum terhadap para terdakwa yang namanya disebut dalam laporan dan
bukti-bukti tersebut;
• Melakukan kerjasama secara penuh dengan cara mendukung upaya
hukum yang sedang dilaksanakan di Timor-Leste, termasuk melakukan
Perjanjian Ekstradisi dan perjanjian untuk saling membantu secara
hukum antara Indonesia dan Timor Leste. Kerjasama ini termasuk upaya
untuk memudahkan proses penyerahan para terdakwa yang namanya
disebutkan dalam dakwaan.
Kami berterima kasih kepada Bapak Presiden atas segala perhatian
terhadap kasus ini.
Hormat kami,