PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS, PEACE AND DEMOCRACY IN INDONESIA

111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 8HW, UK
Tel +44 (0)20 8771 2904 Fax +44 (0)20 8653 0322
Email tapol@gn.apc.org Website http://www.tapol.org

< PRESS RELEASES

SCHRA calls on World Bank to postpose CGI meeting because of worsening human rights in Aceh

2 October 2000

The Support Committee for Human Rights in Aceh today called on the World Bank to postpone this month's meeting of the Consultative Group on Indonesia, CGI, because of the steadily dereriorating human rights situation in Aceh.

In its three-page letter to James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, SCHRA drew attention to the two recent murders of human rights activist Jafar Siddiq Hamzah and Professor Safwan Idris, rector of Ar-Raniry Islamic Studies College which sent shock-waves through Aceh where killings, torture, kidnappings and disappearance have become a frightening part of everyday life.

After elaborating on the history of Aceh's plight from 1989 - 1998 under DOM (military operational zone), the letter drew attention to a litany of atrocities during 1999 and 2000. Tens of thousands of villagers have fled their villages, seeking refuge from patrols mounted by territorial troops, reinforcements from outside and in particular Brimob, the special police force, and the Rajawali joint-operations detachment.

The introduction of the Humanitarian Pause in June this year has failed to improve matters. Indeed the number of civilians killed or tortured by the security forces including both the army and the special police force, Brimob, has steadily mounted. At the same time, human rights and< humanitarian workers have come under intense pressure, forcing them to curtail their activities. To make matters even worse, two internationa humanitarian organisations, Oxfam and MSF, were forced to suspend their activities after local staff were brutalised by Brimob troops.

It pointed out that no one has been called to account for the grave abuses of the past eleven years.

Last month, the International Federation for East Timor called on the World Bank to postpone the CGI meeting because of the grave situation in West Timor.

Carmel Budiardjo, Europe Coordinator for SCHRA, said: 'The international donor community is for the first time being pressed to recognise that programmes of economic assistance to Indonesia cannot be allowed to continue without due regard to the appalling record of human rights violations in various parts of Indonesia perpetrated by the Indonesian armed forces.'

In its letter, SCHRA urged the world donor community not to go ahead with this year's CGI meeting until:

1. The police in Aceh provide evidence of their serious intent to investigate recent crimes, so as to ensure human-rights and humanitarian activists that justice will be done.

2. Proper protection is afforded to human rights and humanitarian workers, as well as all civilians working peacefully for legitimate political demands.

3. All 'non-organic' troops, both army and BRIMOB, are withdrawn from Aceh.

4. Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission sets up a special investigation team for Aceh, whose findings will lead to the prosecution of persons responsible for grave human rights abuses.

5. The Indonesian Government invites UN Special Rapporteurs for Disappearances, for Extra-Judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, and for Violence Against Women to undertake investigations in Aceh.

ENDS

Press archive

top