Diva Suukyi Larasati, seen at the Foundation of the Indonesia Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) Building, Jakarta, Thursday, 5th September, 2024. She sat among human rights activists.
“My demands have always been the same. From the time I was 2 years old until today, I am 22 years old, complete your (government) promises that you (government) talked to my mother, that you (government) would solve the case of my father,“ said Diva.
Diva and a number of activists from various civil society alliances sit in a press conference on the 20th anniversary of Munir’s murder at the YLBHI building, Thursday (5/9/2024).
Diva Suukyi Larasati is the youngest child of Munir kept demand for justice since she lost her father, Munir, in 2 years old. She continues voice the justice with her mother, Suciwati.
“If you have the courage to keep promise and call the victim to say ‘I will resolve this’. Jokowi, SBY please finish it.”
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While waiting for the progress, Diva made a movie called “Seandainya” and it was nominated in the Documentary Film Festival (FFD), a documentary film festival in Asia. She made Seandanya when she was 16 years old as a tribute to the memory of her mother, Munir Said Thalib, who was tragically murdered in 2004 aboard a plane while Munir studying in the Netherlands. Diva dreamed of her father’s presence in the daily life. She expresses the lost time of getting to know her father through various gestures.
When she was in junior high school, together with Fajar Merah, the son of Wiji Thukul, one of the human rights victims who also disappeared, performed a poetry musicalization entitled “Munir”
“Munir has meaning, in the time when simplicity was ignored, Munir proved his elegant strength. When coward took refuge in the arrogance of power, Munir stood up against injustice”
Until today, the case has not been solved.
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Not only Diva, many survivors and families of victims of human rights violations are still waiting for the government’s commitment to provide justice for them and families. Fajar merah is waiting for his father, Wiji Thukul; Sumarsih is waiting for the case of her son, Wawan who was death in Semanggi I to be resolved; Ho Kim Ngo is questioning justice for her son Yun Hap, a victim of Semanggi II. Hunderds of times they held Kamisan Action in front of the State Palace, Jakarta.
The murder of Munir, Wawan, and others, as well as the enforced disappearance of activists such as Wiji Thukul, are among the cases of human rights violation in Indonesia. Several cases were recorded in September and have never been fully investigated. Cases of human rights violations in September included the 1965 G30S and the genocide that followed, the 1984 Tanjung Priok tragedy, the 1999 Semanggi II incident, and others.
The following cases of human rights violations occurred in September because the trials are still pending since the presidencies of Soekarno, Soeharto until Joko Widodo.
‘Black September’ is a sign that this month is full of dark records of human rights violations that have not been fully investigated by the government.
What are some of the Black September hightlights?
1965-1966: The September 30th Movement and Post-1965 Genocide
The 1965 September 30th Movement (G30S) began with the abduction and murder of several high-ranking The Indonesian National Armed Force (TNI) officers and police officers.
This event was not only a turning point in the transition from the Old Order to the New Order. It turned into an even bigger tragedy and has been recorded as part of Indonesia’s dark history.
Post-30 September, any accusation of involvement or support for the Communist Party of Indonesian (PKI) often led to violence. It took many forms: arrest without trial, torture, exile, and murder. Officials and public figures were also accused of being affiliated with the PKI and communism. The writer, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, for example, was banished to Buru Island for many years. Many young people at the time also became exiles for decades abroad because the Indonesian government did not want them to return home.
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The post-1965 ‘extermination’ of the PKI took a heavy toll. Historians agree that at least half a million Indonesians were massacred during 1965-1966 due to allegations of affiliation with the PKI and communism. Many women were also detained in prisons in a number of regions. One of them was in Plantungan Camp, Central Java. Their lives were difficult and they were separated from their loved ones during their detention. After their release, the women in the camp were able to show solidarity by forming the Dialita choir. They performed songs that they composed from inside the prison.
Accusations of affiliation with the PKI were widespread. Traces of involvement with the party and its wing organizations, such as Gerwani and Lekra, became grounds for arrest. Communism became a taboo. People were accused of being PKI for things that sometimes seemed absurd. PKI and communism were also identified with atheism. Then people who did not appear to be devoutly religious or adhere to certain beliefs were considered to be exterminated.
Almost 60 years have passed. The government finally recognized the events of 1965-1966 as cases of gross human rights violations. However, the recognition stopped at a mere apology, while the case was not thoroughly investigated. Victims and families of victims of 1965-1966 died one by one.
Despite the long wait, they are still struggling to get justice for themselves and their families.
1985: Tanjung Priok incident
A human tragedy occurred in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, on September 12, 1984. This incident occurred during the New Order era led by President Soeharto.
An altercation between village guidance officers (Babinsa) and residents of Tanjung Priok led to the arrest of four people. Their detention sparked demonstrations from other residents who did not accept it. They demanded that the four men be released. The protesting residents insisted on staying at the location of the action when told to disperse. The authorities forcibly dispersed the action with gunfire.
Riots broke out. In addition to shootings, there was arson and destruction of vehicles and nearby buildings. Official records report that at least 24 people died as a result of the shootings and 55 others were injured. However, the findings of the investigation team of the National Solidarity for the Tanjung Priok Incident (SONTAK) group put the death toll at 400 people. Meanwhile, 160 people were arrested by the military without procedures or arrest warrants because they were suspected of being involved in the incident.
This year, the anniversary of the Tanjung Priok tragedy enters its fourth decade. It has been 40 years, but clarity about the mastermind of this case and justice for the victims is still unclear. Many people who disappeared in this incident are still unknown. Instead, former officials and officers in the Tanjung Priok case were acquitted. An apology from the government is not enough. There needs to be an investigation and trial of the Tanjung Priok tragedy.
1999: Tragedy of Semanggi II
The 1998 Reformasi succeeded in overthrowing the New Order, but also sacrificed many lives along the way. Although Soeharto had stepped down, students and the people were still not satisfied that the leadership was still occupied by the old guard. Protests that were met with repression by the armed forces took their toll in what became known as the Semanggi II Tragedy on September 24, 1999. This incident occurred a year after the Semanggi I Tragedy in November 1998.
The student demonstration on September 24, 1999 was part of a series of actions against the Law on Countering the State of Danger (UU PKB) that had taken place earlier. Again, mass action was met with violence by ABRI. Just as in the Semanggi I Tragedy, the authorities opened fire on students and protesters. In Jakarta, a University of Indonesia student named Yap Yun Hap was shot dead by a bullet in front of Atmajaya University. His body was found by his friends in the mortuary of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) on September 25, 1999.
Not only in Jakarta, demonstrations against the PKB Law also took place in several other regions. These actions were also met with repression and resulted in casualties. On September 28, 1999, two Lampung University students, Muhammad Yusuf Rizal and Saidatul Fitriah, were shot dead in front of the Kedaton Koramil. In Palembang, on October 5, 1999, Meyer Ardiansyah (IBA University Palembang) was stabbed to death in front of the Kodam II/Sriwijaya headquarters.
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The Independent Fact Finding Team on the Semanggi II incident has conducted reports on its findings. But until now there has been no legal clarity on the perpetrators of the shooting. Yun Hap’s death in the Semanggi II tragedy left a deep wound for his family, especially his mother, Ho Kim Ngo.
She and Maria Katarina Sumarsih, the mother of Bernardinus Realino Norman Irmawan alias Wawan who was a victim of the Semanggi I Tragedy, had filed a lawsuit against the Attorney General of the Republic of Indonesia ST Burhanudin to the Jakarta State Administrative Court. The reason is that the Attorney General is considered to have prevented the victim’s family from demanding justice. On November 4, 2020, the PTUN finally declared ST Burhanudin to have committed an unlawful act.
25 years have passed. But the Semanggi II tragedy still has the same fate as other cases of gross human rights violations. The government acknowledged and apologized for the case, but showed no intention to investigate the case to the end.
2004: Munir Murder
On September 7, 2004, human rights activist Munir Said Thalib passed away. Munir, one of the founders of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), was poisoned with arsenic while on Garuda Indonesia flight GA-974 to Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Munir has advocated various cases of human rights violations since the New Order era. Some of the cases he handled were the killing of farmers by the TNI in Nipah Reservoir, Banyuates, Sampang; the shooting in Bangkalan; the Tanjung Priok incident in 1984; and the enforced disappearance of human rights activists in the 1997-1998 period. Munir was also active in overseeing the murder of labor activist Marsinah in 1994, which has not been resolved until now.
Munir’s activism became the motive for his murder. Munir’s death is one of the other human rights violation cases that are still hanging to be resolved.
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The Munir case had continued into the legal process. A series of trials were held, several suspects were presented. In 2004, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), who served as President at that time, formed a Fact Finding Team (TPF) through Presidential Decree Number 111 of 2004. However, the results of the TPF investigation were never published by the government. In fact, when in 2016 the Public Information Commission (KIP) urged the government to publish the TPF report, the investigation documents were declared lost.
The entire judicial process is also not free from controversy. For example, Major General (Ret.) Muchdi Purwoprandjono was acquitted, even though he was strongly suspected of being the mastermind of Munir’s murder. The year 2024 marks 20 years since Munir’s death, but the government has yet to show good faith in resolving the case.
2015: Salim Kancil Murder
A farmer in Lumajang, East Java named Salim Kancil was killed on September 26, 2015. The Salim Kancil case adds to the long list of human rights violations that have not been investigated by the government.
It is known that Salim Kancil was attacked by around 40 people using sharp weapons, stones, and wood. Not only that, Salim was also dragged for 2 kilometers to the village hall. There, he was tortured again until he died. His friend, Tosan, also experienced the same thing. Tosan survived death because he pretended to be dead after being tortured.
Salim Kancil’s murder was allegedly related to his protest against sand mining activities. He and the Selok Awar-Awar Community Care Communication Forum, felt the environmental damage caused by mining activities there. Salim struggled to demand responsibility for the damage to rice field irrigation channels. And also disruption of agricultural activities due to sand dredging in Selok Awar-Awar.
The perpetrators of the Salim Kancil persecution have been arrested. However, law enforcement is odd. The two men known as the masterminds and perpetrators of Salim Kancil’s murder were only sentenced to 20 years in prison. This sentence is not commensurate with the torture and premeditated murder of the environmental activist. In addition, the Salim Kancil trial did not reveal the owners of the mines he was protesting against. The Salim Kancil case is a grim reminder that activism for environmental justice. He is often met with violence when it disturbs the authorities and financiers.
2019: Apparatus Brutality at #ReformasiDikorupsi Action
It is still vividly remembered that all elements of society took to the streets in the #ReformasiDikorupsi action in September 2019. This action took place shortly after Jokowi entered his second term as president.
People’s anger peaked when the government proposed the discussion of the Omnibus Law and a number of other problematic bills without involving the public. In fact, the Omnibus Law was strongly criticized for not being in favor of the people and the environment. The revision of the Corruption Eradication Commission Law (KPK Bill), which is suspected of weakening the KPK as an anti-corruption institution, also sparked protests.
Large demonstrations took place in various cities in Indonesia. Students, laborers, women, marginalized groups, and school students joined the mass actions. However, these actions were accompanied by repression from the authorities, who used violence when forcing the protesters to disperse. The police mistreated and fired tear gas at the protesters, leaving many people injured. The brutality of the authorities did not only occur in Jakarta, but also in other cities. Police are even said to have used expired tear gas to deal with crowds of civilians.
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Casualties are falling. In Southeast Sulawesi, two students named Randi and Yusuf Kardawi died from live bullet wounds. Meanwhile in Jakarta, police brutality caused a young man named Maulaya Suryadi and two students, Akbar Alamsyah and Bagus Putra Mahendra, to die.
The repression also resulted in hundreds of injuries. A number of demonstrators were declared missing when the riots broke out. Journalists were also prevented from covering and suffered persecution despite wearing press credentials. The record of violence during the #ReformasiDikorupsi action is another human rights violation.It must be accounted for by the government.
2020: The murder of Pastor Jeremiah
Pastor Yeremia Zanambani was the leader of the Kemah Injil Indonesia Church (GKII). On September 19, 2020, his wife found him dead with gunshot wounds and stab wounds in a pigsty. He was killed in Hitadipa Village, Hitadipa District, Intan Jaya Regency, Papua.
The murder of Pastor Jeremiah has shocked Indonesia. Jeremiah was known to be vocal in criticizing the military presence in Hitadipa. The TNI had said that Jeremiah was shot by an armed criminal group (KKB). However, according to West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) spokesman Sebby Sambon, Jeremiah was killed by TNI personnel.
In October 2020, the government formed a Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) to investigate the case of Jeremiah’s death. The TGPF report found the alleged involvement of security forces in Jeremiah’s murder. However, the government has yet to follow up on the results of the investigation.
In addition to the death of Pastor Jeremiah, many cases of shooting of indigenous Papuans in Intan Jaya also remain a mystery. The public urges the government to immediately investigate the case of Pastor Jeremiah. As well as other cases of murder of indigenous Papuans in order to uphold human rights in Indonesia.
2023: Repressive Eviction in Rempang
The eviction of the residents of Rempang, Batam, is a case of human rights violations that is still very fresh in the memory. The case happened exactly a year ago, on September 7, 2024.
Rempang Island is one of the areas included in the National Strategic Program (PSN) launched by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia. This is stated in the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Number 7 of 2023.
Clashes between the community and the authorities occurred on Rempang Island, Batam, Riau Islands on Thursday (7/9/2023). The residents rejected the discourse of relocating their traditional village for the development of the Rempang Eco City area. Meanwhile, on that day, the Navy and police security forces forced their way in to install Boundary Management and Condition Creation Stakes.
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Navy and police security forces were deployed to evict 16 Old Malay Villages that have existed since 1834. Clashes were inevitable. The army pushed and fired tear gas into the area of Galang 22 Junior High School and Galang 24 Elementary School. As a result, at least six residents were arrested, dozens were injured, several children were traumatized, and one child was injured by tear gas.
According to Tommy Yanda from the Malay Youth Alliance of Riau Islands, the clash was the culmination of violence committed by the authorities against the community. “Parents, students, and even toddlers were affected by tear gas from the riots that occurred,” he said in an online press conference, Thursday (7/9/2023).
Until now, Rempang residents are still fighting to defend their land. Violence in the eviction attempt in Rempang also indicates that PSN development is still far from a human rights perspective.
The government avoids the responsibility of fulfilling people’s rights to land, water, and so on. Instead, they carry out repression against communities. That is not in accordance with the main tasks and functions of defense and security forces.
