Human Rights in Indonesia KIDNAPPING OF political dissidents by their country could plunge into chaos. “The Indonesia’s military is not rare. But Pius best protection against a political breakdown Lustrilanang, 30, is the first survivor to de- is the restoration of financial stability,” says Hearing conducted by the Subcommittee on scribe his harrowing experience, defying Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. threats that bearing witness would bring But surely, the two things work together, International Operations and Human Rights, harm to him or his relatives. A democratic that is, financial stability is also no longer Committee on International Relations activist since his university days, Mr. Lus- possible without political reform. trilanang on Feb. 4 was forced at gunpoint Indonesia’s economic crisis is a political United States House of Representatives into a car, blindfolded and taken to a prison crisis, too, brought on in large part by cor- (he never learned which one) where he was ruption and cronyism among Mr. Suharto’s interrogated, tortured and held for two closest aides and relatives. The president Representative Christopher H. Smith, Chairman months. has granted no political voice to the mil- Mr. Lustrilanang believes, without proof lions who are bearing the brunt of the cri- but based on persuasive evidence, that his sis—and who, in the long run, will have to Washington, DC captors belonged to Indonesia’s armed ser- repay the billions in additional debt that Mr. vices. Their commander in chief is Presi- Suharto is now assuming, with U.S. help, dent Suharto, Indonesia’s autocratic ruler on their behalf. Yet, given Indonesia’s un- May 7, 1998 for more than three decades and a longtime responsive government, there is little assur- U.S. favorite. President Clinton not long ance that aid will benefit these people. “No ago blamed the Cold War for past U.S. sup- one believes that economic stability can be port of dictators who squelched “their own restored without fundamental political people’s aspirations to live up to the fullest change,” an Indonesian alliance of nongov- of their God-given abilities.” But the Cold ernmental groups declared last week. War is over, Mr. Suharto is squelching A pro-democracy movement, led by uni- Contents harder than ever—and the United States is versity students, is gathering strength in In- Rep. Christopher H. Smith, backing billions in aid to his regime. donesia. Its outcome is highly uncertain, and Chair ...... 2 The arguments for such aid aren’t frivo- its participants are taking grave risks, as Pius Lustrilanang, “disappeared” Indonesian activist .....4 lous; nor is it only a matter of looking out Mr. Lustrilanang knows; several of his Aryati, for U.S. business interests, as some critics cellmates were released but have yet to re- Indonesian researcher ...... 6 contend. Indonesia is in the middle of a dire appear. “I am afraid they have been ex- Constâncio Pinto, East Timorese torture survivor ...... 10 economic crisis. Its currency has collapsed, ecuted,” he says. The United States should Jafar Siddiq Hamzah, Acehnese lawyer ...... 12 businesses are going bankrupt and millions be making clear, publicly and privately, that of people—in the world’s fourth-ymost it is on the side of this movement—that Mr. Allan Nairn, on U.S. military ...... 14 populous nation—are being driven into job- Suharto and his army should be assisting Still Backing Dictators, Washington Post editorial ...... 16 lessness and poverty. Without foreign aid, now in a peaceful transition to democracy. administration officials fear, these people’s Only that can bring stability and economic plight will become even more desperate, and health back to Indonesia.

For more information about East Timor, and to work to change U.S. policy to support East Timorese and Indonesian human and political rights, contact: This is an unofficial compilation of the prepared statements presented at the hearing and East Timor Action Network/United States some additional material, published by the East Timor Action Network. It is not an official P.O. Box 1182, White Plains, New York 10602 transcript from the House of Representatives. tel: 1-914-428-7299 fax: 1-914-428-7383 [email protected] We are a network of local chapters and grassroots activists in every state. East Timor Action Network/U.S. Ask for our free newsletter, resource list and information packet. $1.00 5/98 Opening statement by including military assistance, on Jakarta. continues to sell ABRI new weapons (as provided for in H.Con.Res. 258 by Representative Christopher I was particularly shocked to learn re- and spare parts, and to counsel them in Representatives Lowey, Lantos [D, H. Smith (R-NJ) cently that the United States has been strategy and tactics with the message California], Smith, Porter [R, Illinois], providing combat training to Indonesian that, as a one U.S. official put it to me and 32 cosponsors). Today’s hearing is on human rights military units, including some of those in- “the U.S. is close to and loves the army.” There is no need for the U.S. to “in- in Indonesia. I hope our witnesses will volved in the Dili massacre. This appears This message has devastating conse- tervene” for freedom in Indonesia and address three fundamental questions: to be a dramatic end run around the rules quences for Indonesia’s hopes for free- Timor. It merely has to stop arming, First, is it true, as human rights advo- Congress carefully prescribed for mili- dom, as described by witnesses at this training, and financing the dictator and cates and our own State Department tary training and education of Indone- hearing. the army that crush it. have suggested, that agents of the Gov- sian forces, in an effort to ensure that In one respect, the suspension of ernment of Indonesia engage in torture, we would not provide them with the JCET is a great victory for it is certain Allan Nairn broke the story of JCET training extrajudicial executions, and other gross means of carrying out further massacres. to disconcert ABRI and Suharto as they for ABRI in a Nation magazine piece released violations of fundamental human Year after year the Administration has see their Washington lifeline fray and as March 11 (“Indonesia’s Killers,” published in rights? Second, is United States policy assured Congress that the provision of they see that grassroots forces have the issue dated March 30, 1998). After holding toward Indonesia helping or hurting the “International Military Education and shown fast-increasing political clout. a Jakarta press conference on the issue he was situation? Third, are the massive infu- Training” to Indonesia is strictly limited Not least, it must be frightening to detained by ABRI police intelligence, interrogated, sions of money from the International to the so-called “expanded IMET” cur- Gen. Wiranto, Gen. Prabowo and the and deported from Indonesia (Nairn, with Amy Monetary Fund and other international riculum: classroom training in human other ABRI leaders as they realize that Goodman of WBAI/Pacifica radio, was banned financial institutions likely to help the rights and related subjects. We have also those who dealt them this defeat are – from Indonesia and occupied East Timor as a people of Indonesia, or will they just been assured that there is no way the In- most of all – the very people whom they “threat to national security” after surviving and further enrich and empower the govern- donesian military could use any of this have been futilely attempting to “cut to reporting the November 12, 1991 East Timor ing class? training against the people of East Timor pieces” (in the words of Gen. Feisal Tan- massacre). He is active in the East Timor Ac- The U.S. State Department’s Coun- or Irian Jaya, or against political or reli- jung, now Coordinating Minister for Po- tion Network (ETAN) and is currently orga- try Report on Human Rights Practices gious dissenters in Indonesia itself. To litical Affairs and Security) and consign nizing Justice for All, a grassroots group for hu- for 1997 reported politically motivated provide training in marksmanship, “psy to silence. Constâncio Pinto survived man rights and economic justice. extrajudicial killings, disappearances, ops” (psychological warfare), sniper torture by the U.S.-trained KOPASSUS torture, arbitrary arrest and imprison- training, and related subjects to some of to tell his story to the U.S. Congress. ment in Indonesia. The report notes that the very units that have brutalized the Pius Lustrilanang did so just weeks af- abuses have historically been particu- people of East Timor is an obvious vio- ter emerging from a secret torture cen- larly numerous in East Timor, Irian lation of this assurance. ter from which he was freed as the re- Jaya and Aceh, three areas in which This revelation is eerily reminiscent of sult of a pressure campaign by fellow there have been strong independence a similar situation in Rwanda, where the activists. And tens of thousands of In- movements. The report notes that United States has provided marksman- donesian students and workers, in the “there were few signs of judicial inde- ship, psy ops, and similar training to the streets, put their stories on the world’s pendence” – that the courts were used Rwandan Patriotic Army through the front pages. This, inspiring and joining against political activists and govern- JCET program during the very period with international activism, is what has ment critics rather than to punish offi- in which the RPA appears to have been stopped the JCET training. cials who unlawfully harm such people. engaged in the mass killing of refugees But this victory will be of little signifi- There are severe restrictions on freedom across the border in Zaire. At a Decem- cance unless it is followed by further of speech, freedom of assembly, and ber 1996 hearing, I was assured that our work that fully severs U.S. complicity freedom of religion. assistance to the RPA consisted of what with Suharto and the ABRI. At a mini- Despite this dismal record, our gov- a Defense Department spokesman called mum, Congress should oppose the IMF ernment has made clear that the top the “kindler, gentler side” of military bailout of Suharto and end all U.S. priority in its relationship with Indone- training, focused on respect for human weapons and spare parts sales and en- sia is trade and investment, not political rights. We found about the marksman- act a ban on any other form of training reform or human rights protection. ship or the psy ops until eight months or technical support that U.S. agencies Even after the 1991 massacre in Dili, later. The Administration has still not might give ABRI. East Timor, in which security forces been able to determine whether any of And while ending Washington’s killed hundreds of peaceful mourners – the soldiers who took our marksmanship shameful sponsorship of ABRI, Con- including children in their school uni- course subsequently participated in the gress can begin to restore decency by en- forms – in a Catholic cemetery, our gov- killing of refugees. dorsing a UN-sponsored referendum – ernment continued to lavish assistance, In the last five years, U.S. Special Op- a free election – for occupied East Timor

- 2 - - 15 - Allan Nairn gible for limited, U.S.-based classroom erations forces have conducted at least tem will reform themselves. They also instruction (called Expanded IMET) 41 training exercises with the Indonesian argue that without a restoration of finan- The day after the hearing the Pentagon ostensibly stressing human rights. military, at a cost of more than three and cial stability there will be no political re- suspended military training for Indonesia. When the JCET program was exposed a half million dollars to U.S. taxpayers. form and human rights will be at greater This article describes this decision. It was not in March (in an article in The Nation Based on the information provided to risk than ever. Skeptics argue that the presented at the hearing. magazine and then in a Washington Congress so far, it appears that the train- brunt of the reforms in the IMF pack- Yesterday (May 8), retreating under press conference by the East Timor Ac- ees in most of those exercises were age – such as reductions in government heavy political fire, the U.S. Depart- tion Network and several Representa- Indonesia’s elite Kopassus special forces subsidies for food and fuel – will fall on ment of Defense announced the indefi- tives), many in Congress reacted with - the arm of the military accused of com- the poor. They fear that the bailout will nite suspension of its Joint Combined outrage. Megawati Sukarno, the Indo- mitting the gravest human rights viola- enrich and empower the Indonesian gov- Exchange and Training (JCET) exer- nesian pro-democracy leader, wrote im- tions against that regime’s political op- ernment and the large-scale economic cises for the Indonesian Armed Forces mediately to President Clinton saying ponents. The lethal skills taught during enterprises, many of them owned by (ABRI). that “military training from the U.S. di- those exercises have included: close members of the armed forces and/or the This is a breakthrough victory for the rectly undermines the democratic move- quarters combat, sniper skills, marks- President’s family, and that the end re- pro-democracy movement – both in In- ment in Indonesia.” manship, combat patrolling, small unit sult will be more of the same kind of be- donesia and occupied East Timor and ETAN and Justice for All launched a tactics, and military operations in urban havior that led to the economic prob- here in the United States. But it is not U.S. campaign for a JCET cutoff. In terrain. Even before the U.S. training lems. It seems even less likely that the enough. The JCET training has not yet April visits to over 150 Congressional was publicly disclosed, those were ex- IMF and World Bank assistance will been formally terminated and banned, offices we found widespread bipartisan actly the skills identified by Amnesty In- lead to political reform, since the Bank and the U.S. still arms, advises, fi- support. Even longtime apologists for ternational as “likely (to)... be used in and IMF themselves insist they cannot nances, and politically comforts the Suharto said they would not fight the pro- the context of counter-insurgency opera- insist on political conditions – not even ABRI. Washington, the ABRI’s long- posal. tions which may lead to human rights the protection of fundamental and inter- time patron, should now renounce this On May 6, Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) violations” in Indonesia. Since this train- nationally-recognized human rights – as killer force. At a time when brave In- and 21 initial cosponsors introduced ing has come to light, the Administra- a condition on loans or other assistance. donesians and East Timorese are risk- H.R.3802 to terminate ABRI’s JCET tion has emphasized the benefit to U.S. I am particularly happy that four of ing their lives to demand freedom, the training (the bill says that any country forces as the justification for those ac- our five witnesses today are democracy U.S. should not be supporting in any banned from receiving IMET is also in- tivities. But it is obvious that – in the and human rights advocates from Indo- form an institution devoted to suppress- eligible for other forms of U.S. military words of the former Commanding Gen- nesia, East Timor, and Aceh. I hope that ing them. training). On May 7, Rep. Chris Smith eral of the Pacific Special Operations these witnesses, and also Dr. Stephanie Until the JCET program was exposed held this widely attended, heavily covered Command – this special forces training Freed of the Environmental Defense and then brought down by grassroots hearing. Although the Pentagon and also “improves the capability of...the host Fund, will help us understand how the activism, the U.S. military was training State Department were invited to the nation” and “demonstrates (the U.S. government of Indonesia really works, the ABRI – and its most notorious unit hearing to defend the JCET program, military’s) commitment” to the Indone- what levers we should be using to get , KOPASSUS – in lethal tactics includ- they declined to appear. The next day, sian regime. We need a simple and trans- the government to respect human rights, ing “Advanced Sniper Techniques,” March 8, they announced the JCET sus- parent set of rules to govern all our mili- and whether current and proposed U.S. “Military Operations in Urban Ter- pension. tary education programs. The first rule and international actions will be helpful rain,” “Psychological Operations,” “Air The suspension is clearly an effort to should be that the United States does not or harmful. I had hoped that the Admin- Assault” and “Close Quarters Com- preempt an embarrassing JCET defeat give any kind of military assistance istration would send witnesses to the bat.” U.S. Green Berets, Marines, and in Congress and to help salvage the en- whatever to governments that murder hearing, but they cited schedule conflicts. Air Force commandos would fly into In- dangered $14.5 billion IMF replenish- their own people. We have asked them to tell us exactly donesia fully armed and drill ABRI ment bill. The administration, under fire Finally, the world needs to know what when their witnesses can come, and we troops in exercises lasting two to six from some in Congress for bailing out a is happening to the billions and billions will hold a second part of this hearing weeks. There were at least 41 such ex- repressive regime, is now attempting to of dollars it is pouring into Indonesia in on whatever day they choose. Congress ercises between 1992 and 1997, and 20 justify its continued financing of Suharto response to the ongoing economic crisis. and the American people have a right more scheduled for 1998. and his army by claiming that the JCET It is no secret that the vast majority of to know what our government is doing This training was in violation of an suspension adequately addresses human these dollars are going into the coffers in Indonesia and why. I look forward to Executive Branch understanding with rights concerns. of the government itself and of large- the testimony of our witnesses. Congress, which had cut off IMET (In- The IMF money will help enable Su- scale economic enterprises that helped ternational Military Education and harto and his ABRI henchmen to stay to create the crisis in the first place. Sup- Training) training aid to ABRI after the in power. And it will free up funds that porters of the IMF package for Indone- 1991 East Timor massacre, and which they can use to purchase lethal training sia argue that in return for the money, believed that ABRI was now only eli- elsewhere. At the same time, the U.S. the government and the economic sys-

- 14 - - 3 - Pius Lustrilanang abductors warned us if we tell our story Foundation where I worked as a human team and open a UNHCR office in it would have nasty consequences. I rights lawyer for 7 years, Amnesty In- Aceh to focus specially on monitoring Secretary-General of ALDERA drew the conclusion that giving a full ac- ternational and Human Rights Watch/ human rights violations in this region. Mr. Chairman, my name is Pius Lus- count of my two month disappearance Asia). 5. Bring the Malaysian government to trilanang and I am an active member of was worth the risk. It also serves as pro- The refugees are caught in a cycle of an international court of justice and the pro-democracy movement in Indo- tection for myself and my family. Expos- daily humiliation and violence. Because make it publicly accountable for its ille- nesia. ing myself might also accelerate the re- of institutionalized state violence and re- gal actions against refugees resulting in I regard myself as fortunate to be able lease of the other detainees. pressive counter-insurgency measures the death of 24 Acehnese and violating to testify in front of you: I was kid- I was kidnapped while waiting for pub- against the supporters of the indepen- international human rights laws. napped, held for two months and re- lic transport in front of the General Hos- dence movement, Aceh Merdeka, many Thank you very much for your time leased. Other victims held together with pital in Jakarta. Suddenly somebody with Acehnese flee by boat to Malaysia, with- and patience. me have disappeared without trace. In a pistol told me to get into a car. Three out official passports or immigration pa- my language we differentiate between persons were sitting in the car. They im- pers. In Malaysia, they are not granted ‘hilang’ and ‘dihilangkan.’ Both mean dis- mediately handcuffed and blindfolded refugee status but put in detention appear but the second term, dihilangkan is me. We drove in the direction of Bogor camps, or hunted down by police as ille- the active form, the translation of which and after approximately one hour’s drive gal aliens. In Indonesia, the are branded is: made to disappear. we arrived at the place where I was held as “terrorists” or GPK Aceh Merdeka, I am fortunate that I do not belong to for two months. and tortured, disappeared or executed the category of those who were made to The prison compound was quite mod- extra-judicially. Worst of all, they are not disappear. When I was taken to the ern. In the section where I was held there able to leave Malaysia legally, because place of detention which was also a tor- were two rows of three cells, complete they do not even have passports. ture centre on 2 February, one of the with a detector camera. In the two 2. We strongly recommend the forma- kidnappers told me: “There are no laws months I was held, I never saw my kid- tion of an international human rights here and no human rights. You simply nappers. Either I was blindfolded or they team, under the auspices of the UN, to have to answer all our questions. And were hooded. But from the people that conduct an independent investigation of remember, some people come out of this delivered the food I was able to distin- the political situation in Aceh, and the place alive and some as corpses. If you guish at least a dozen people. inhuman treatment of refugees in Ma- want to stay alive, you better behave.” The first three days were the worst. laysia. Acehnese should not be forced My release is the result of domestic They gave me electric shocks, kicked and to return to Aceh where it is certain that and international pressure and also wide hit me all over my body. I was put in a they will be killed, tortured or persecuted exposure in the press. I want to use this tub of water and my head was pushed by the Indonesian military, until such opportunity to thank all the human down over and over again. I thought I time that fundamental changes occur rights organisations, NGOs and indi- would never survive. I was in the hands and Acehnese can live in their own land viduals around the world that have cam- of professionals, they did everything as free of fear (most importantly, that the paigned for me and the other disap- part of a routine. status of Aceh as a “Special Region for peared. My gratitude goes also to those The main thrust of the interrogation Military Operations” is ended). governments that have made represen- was about my activities as coordinator 3. We strongly urge the U.S. govern- tations to the Indonesian government. of SIAGA, a loose coalition to support ment to grant political asylum to the My sincere gratitude to all the members Megawati and Amien Rais, the two main Acehnese in the U.S. Embassy in Kuala of the press who have put disappear- opposition figures. What was the strat- Lumpur, and to those who are seeking ances on to the international agenda. I egy of SIAGA, who else participated in asylum here in the U.S. – who will most speak on behalf of many others includ- the preparation of actions and so on. It definitely be the targets of political re- ing many of my close friends who are became obvious to me that the kidnap- pression, if not execution, if they are sent still held in detention. pers were safeguarding President home. Based on the background I have Mr. Chairman, giving testimony like Suharto’s re-election in March. All stum- provided, I wish to make a strong plea this is not without risk. It took me more bling blocks, people like me had to be to members of the U.S. Congress to rec- than a week of consideration before I removed. The ones that were detained ognize political refugee status of decided to go public. In fact, I’m the first with me had the same background. This Acehnese fleeing Indonesia and grant Indonesian victim of disappearances to period was one of the worst periods in them asylum status. do so. We all received death threats, not the history of the Suharto regime. Hun- 4. Put pressure on the United Nations only to ourselves but even worse to our dreds of arrests took place, at least a and other international human rights next of kin and the other detainees. Our dozen others were kidnapped like me and commissions to form an investigative

- 4 - - 13 - Jafar Siddiq Hamzah themselves in their crony positions even an extra 35,000 troops were detached in In these last few days the government deeper and do not feel accountable to the capital Jakarta. Holding a peaceful has announced that they will set up two Acehnese human rights lawyer anyone. protest in the streets of Jakarta became fact finding teams. One of the teams has Soeharto, after being in power for 32 I wish to present a few facts about the a virtual impossibility. to find out whether members of the se- years, now finds himself in a very diffi- political violence in Aceh, in North I do not possess definite proof about curity forces are involved in the cult political situation. Even though he Sumatra, where I come from. In the past the identification of my kidnappers. I do kidnappings. I welcome this announce- continues to control political power in few months, the Malaysian government, not believe they were part of an orga- ment, another proof of positive result due his hands in a real sense, in the past few in close collaboration with the Indone- nized crime gang or any of the pro-gov- to pressure. But I have to say at the same months the strength of the opposition sian government, undertook a forced re- ernment political groupings. Everything time that we have bad experiences with forces that want to bring an end to his patriation policy of thousands of was far too professional. Sometimes I government fact finding teams. After the authoritarian rule has grown im- Acehnese who are victims of political was able to communicate with the other Santa Cruz massacre in Dili, East mensely. I feel certain and I have strong persecution, but who were never granted detainees to compare our experiences. Timor in November 1991, also due to hope that in the next few months, political refugee stems in Malaysia. All evidence suggests that we were in strong international pressure, similar Soeharto will be increasingly In the past few weeks, as a conse- the hands of the armed forces. Every af- fact finding teams were established. The marginalized, if not overthrown through quence of the forced repatriation policy, ternoon around 3:00 I heard a trumpet, results were more than disappointing. a “people power” revolution altogether. 24 Acehnese people were killed by Ma- for roll-call. The clearest evidence was No independent inquiry has yet been A historical analysis of Soeharto’s laysian police. In addition 27 of them on the day of my release on the morning made and only a few low-ranking offic- 32-year rule reveals that he is a politi- were executed extra-judicially after ar- of 3 April. One of the officers revealed ers received minor sentences as sacrifi- cal figure who reacts violently to criti- riving in Aceh. 545 or more other politi- that he was an AKABRI (armed forces cial lambs. cism and to challenges against his au- cal refugees who were forcibly repatri- academy) graduate. He was the one who Mr. Chairman and honourable mem- thority. He is not one to reform his poli- ated an being held in Rancong, Aceh, a gave me a final dose of electric shock be- bers of the House, I also want to use this cies in response to criticism. On the con- Kopassus Special Forces Military Camp fore my release. A token of remem- opportunity to raise the matter of impu- trary, Soeharto and the New Order re- known as a torture site. brance, he said. nity. President Suharto is by far the long- gime respond to internal and interna- On April 10, thirty-five Acehnese The top of ABRI (the Indonesian est serving ruler in Asia. In the more tional criticism not only in a defensive sought political asylum in different for- armed forces) categorically deny their in- than three decades of his rule, funda- manner, but through overt military vio- eign embassies in Malaysia, including volvement in kidnappings. Commander- mental freedoms have suffered greatly. lence – on a psychological level, the most eight going to the U.S. Embassy in Kuala in Chief and concurrently Minister of The human rights situation in Indone- pernicious form of intimidation of civil- Lumpur, the other to the Swiss, French Defense General Wiranto and local ter- sia is fundamentally flawed. The annual ians to bow to military force. The bloody and Brunei embassies. Fourteen others ritorial commanders have said this in Human Rights Report of your State events in history that occurred during to the U.N High Commission for Refu- public. Police officers do not wear hoods Department has over the years recorded his rule are too numerous to enumer- gees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur. during interrogation. From deducing the most of these violations. The perpetra- ate, among them: With regard to the violent forcible re- facts there is a high probability of the in- tors of those violations are publicly w the tragedy of 1965, in which about patriation of Acehnese undertaken by volvement of a special unit within ABRI. known. In most cases they are members 1 million suspected communists were the Malaysian and Indonesian govern- I want to remind this subcommittee that of the security forces. The tragedy in mercilessly executed, imprisoned and ments working together, I wish to make in the Indonesian political system, the Priok more than a decade ago, the kill- persecuted; the following recommendations to the Head of State is also the Supreme Com- ings in Lampung and Aceh and the w the Malari student riots in 1974 U.S. Congress and the international mander of the Armed Forces. tragic events on 27 July 1996 have oc- w community: I have made a full report in front of curred without the perpetrators being Tanjung Priok 1. The thousands of Acehnese in Ma- the Indonesian National Commission of held accountable. The international w East Timor laysia who are being forcibly repatriated Human Rights. The Indonesian govern- community together with the growing w Aceh are not illegal immigrants, but political ment is in a particularly weak position. democratic forces have to find ways to refugees who fled Aceh because of the A deep economic crisis goes hand in prevent senseless killings like this and w Warsidi Lampung w extremely repressive socio-political situ- hand with a growing political crisis. A to make sure that perpetrators will ap- the mysterious killings known as ation very similar to that of East Timor crisis of legitimacy is also evident. Al- pear in court to give an account for their Petrus from 1982-83; and several and West Papua. Aceh continues to be a though it may sound paradoxical, this acts. other cases. Special Region for Military Operations. weakened government has become more We also have to use internationally Members of the government and Since 1989, during the intensification of vicious and brutal towards voices of dis- available instruments like the structures Armed Forces who are responsible for military counter-insurgency, thousands sent. Increased international pressure is of the United Nations Human Rights these atrocities and who ought to have of civilians have been killed (these hu- paramount. My release is a shining proof Commission. It is urgent for your gov- been put to trial for their crimes not only man rights violations are very well docu- that international pressure on the Indo- ernment to press for the sending of spe- continue to stay power, but through mented by international organizations, nesian authorities can improve the hu- cial teams to Jakarta. I can mention here Soeharto’s support have entrenched including the Indonesian Legal Aid man rights situation. the UN Working Group on Arbitrary

- 12 - - 5 - Detentions, which is going to visit East no ordinary military. It has an official genital organs was electrocuted. What the Santa Cruz massacre which oc- Timor anyhow in the coming months. “dual function”: external defense and happened to me and Domingos was in- curred in 1991 where more than 271 Also the UN Working Group on Dis- internal policing. Imagine for a moment comparable to what happened to people were gunned down in cold blood. appearances and the Special Rappor- that the U.S. military had overthrown Henrique Belmiro, another friend. On Those who were wounded were taken teur on Torture are important to inves- the U.S. government by staging a coup the day Belmiro was arrested his finger into hospitals and later some of their tigate the present situation. In coopera- and orchestrating the slaughter of about and toenails were pulled out with pliers heads were smashed with rocks and oth- tion with local human rights 500,000 people. Imagine the military then during the interrogation. All of these ers were injected with lethal injection. organisations, I’m confident, we can set up headquarters in each state, each atrocities were committed by the KO- More than a hundred people were killed improve the situation. county, each city and each town. Imag- PASSUS. this way. Until today, there has not been Mr. Chairman, Despite the traumatic ine that it placed one third to one half of Mr. Chairman, I would like to express an independent investigation of the mas- experiences of my two months in cap- the U.S. military’s troops in these head- in this forum my disappointment with sacre. Those who were responsible for tivity, I feel very optimistic. The winds quarters. Imagine that there were no the training of KOPASSUS carried out the massacre were sentenced to six of change are blowing in Indonesia. I laws governing their actions nor any leg- by U.S. Army and Air Force units in months. The organizers of the peaceful sincerely hope that our mutual efforts islative oversight. Imagine further that Indonesia under the Joint Combined Ex- actions were sentenced to nine years to will prevent repetition of what happened the civilian administration was con- change Training (JCET) program. The life imprisonment, such as in the case of to me. stantly monitored and controlled by the United States should stop all types of Grigorio Saldanha who was sentenced military and that many of the civilian ad- military support to a military that is loyal to life imprisonment. Such repression Aryati ministrators were themselves military of- to a dictator that for 33 years has con- forced hundreds of young Timorese to ficers. If you can imagine this scenario tinuously committed gross human rights leave their homeland. From 1995 to this Pseudonym for an Indonesian human rights then you have a pretty good idea of how violations in defiance of the Universal day more than 200 young Timorese have activist/researcher the Indonesian military operates. It is Declaration of the United Nations. successfully escaped to Portugal, leav- I come to speak to you with some ubiquitous, all-pervasive, and beyond the Training Indonesian KOPASSUS is ing their families back home. Hundreds trepidation. Indonesia is not a free coun- law. just like training Saddam Hussein’s more are enduring constant persecution. try where one can express criticisms of When the U.S. military speaks about troops. Mr. Chairman, to conclude, I would the government without worry about training Indonesian military officers to Not to speak of the suffering endur- like to reiterate that human rights viola- the possible consequences upon ones respect human rights, we can only laugh. ing by the Timorese women. Often the tions such as torture, rape, persecution, safety. I have no guarantees of protec- The structure of the Indonesian military Timorese women were raped in front of arbitrary disappearances, executions tion: I am not a prominent leader of a places it as an all-powerful institution and their husbands, boyfriends, friends, and and imprisonment in East Timor have mass organization, nor a member of the the laws of our country allow it complete families. There are thousands of become the daily bread of the East elite who has high connections. I am an freedom to do what it wills. A few Timorese women who were subjected Timorese people. Indonesian from a middle class back- courses in good behavior are not going to forced sterilization through the imple- The Timorese want just one thing; ground who is scared about telling you to alter a very oppressive system of mili- mentation of the Indonesian family plan- that is that our right to self-determination my honest opinions. tary rule. Besides, we are not even cer- ning program (KB). According to be recognized. Let us freely choose I take this risk because I feel com- tain that the U.S. military is sincere in Miranda Sissons, a graduate student whatever we want to be. Be it an inde- pelled to. I am one of the youths of my claiming that it is providing such train- from Yale University, almost all injec- pendent state, integration into Indone- country who will have to bear, for many ing. tions of contraceptives were covertly sia, or an association with another coun- years into the future, the burden of what The U.S. Congress should feel no given to women under the guise of vac- try. To achieve this, the role of the mistakes and crimes the government is qualms about cutting off JCET training cinations. Many Timorese women be- United States is vital. committing today. I take this risk also if it is thinking about our benefit. Once lieved that these injections could perma- in the hope that the U.S. government, the JCET training became public knowl- nently sterilize them. so long a staunch and powerful sup- edge, the Pentagon claimed that it was Mr. Chairman, today, the Indonesian porter of Suharto’s militarism, will re- meant only for the benefit of U.S. sol- army has turned its attention on East form itself and do something to ensure diers who were given the opportunity to Timorese youth. Today, the Indonesian that Indonesia has a government that see how another military operates. So, army does not view the danger as com- respects and guarantees basic civil lib- by the Pentagon’s own admission, the ing from a handful of the guerrilla fight- erties. training was not designed to help the In- ers in the jungle but the youth in the cit- Military donesian military acquire less brutish ies. All peaceful actions and freedom of To understand the Suharto govern- habits. speech and assembly are considered po- ment you have to understand the Indo- Let me explain how the government litically dangerous. Thus, peaceful ac- nesian military. We have been living un- instills in us a culture of fear and robs us tions encounter military repression. der an institutionalized martial law re- of our basic civil rights. In response to One of the prominent examples of the gime for the past thirty three years. It is the student protests sweeping the coun- repression against peaceful actions was

- 6 - - 11 - Constâncio Pinto nese, Portuguese, and Australian) and try, the government has decided to in- tors, they “deviated from the state ideol- different ages (including children and old timidate the students by resorting to the ogy.” Representative of the East Timorese men and women) were killed. They were tactic of ‘disappearances.’ According to There are presently at least 25 politi- Resistance to the U.S. and U.N. killed inside their houses, they were the leading legal aid organization in In- cal prisoners in Indonesia’s prisons, Mr. Chairman, distinguished mem- dropped into the ocean and they were donesia (Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan some are in their teens, some in their sev- bers of the US Congress, ladies and dropped alive from helicopters. I sur- Hukum Indonesia), fifty persons have enties. Just in the past three months, 250 gentlemen, first of all allow me to ex- vived the massacre and escaped into the disappeared over the past three months. people have been arrested on political press my profound gratitude to this pres- jungle with my parents. In the jungle we One student activist who disappeared is crimes – such heinous crimes as holding tigious body in allowing me to address faced tremendous suffering, mass slaugh- Andi Arief. Military personnel kid- peaceful meetings and holding peaceful before you problems of violations of ter and starvation perpetrated by the In- napped him from his home, in full view demonstrations. We have a government human rights that my people and my donesian army. As result of the direct of his family, on March 28. The top gen- that has a pathological fear of any pub- country have endured for almost 23 invasion and the illegal occupation of erals of our country not only denied that lic assembly that it does not control and years under Indonesian illegal and bru- East Timor over 200,000 people have the military had kidnapped him, they any public leader who does not grovel tal occupation. died. They died of mass slaughter, star- joked to the press that he had simply dis- before our president. Every single inde- My name is Constâncio Pinto. I am vation and torture in jail. As many other appeared of his accord. For three weeks, pendent political party and trade union Timorese. I was born and raised in East young Timorese, my life has been af- his family, his friends, and his fellow stu- has been systematically destroyed by the Timor. fected by the Indonesian invasion. dents worried themselves to the point of government. In regions where there has East Timor is a small country. Its size In 1991, at the age of 28 years old, I exhaustion. Knowing how the military been serious organized resistance – Irian is relatively equal to the size of the state was arrested by the Indonesian police operates, they were concerned for his Jaya, Aceh, occupied East Timor – it has of Massachusetts. The population of the and intelligence and I was tortured from very survival. On April 22, he turned up not has been satisfied with arrests. It has territory is 850,000 people. For more 9 o’clock in the morning until 1 o’clock in the Jakarta central police station. The resorted to massacres. You can guess than four hundred years, East Timor in the morning of the next day. The tor- police had no arrest warrant and no ex- what type of society we have. We are a was under Portuguese colonial rule. ture was immeasurable. They kicked my planation for how he got there. Andi people who are terrified of expressing East Timor economically is stomach and my knees with boots, they Arief told his lawyers that he had been our own opinions and terrified of getting self-sufficient. It has oil, natural gas and punched my head and pointed the gun kidnapped by the special forces, involved in politics. Politics for us is a agricultural goods. As a colonized at my head and threatened to kill me and Kopassus, held for three weeks of inter- spectator sport – and a cruel sport it is. people, the East Timorese have aspired all of my family. The intensity of torture rogation, and then dumped at the police We are daily bombarded by the state- to individual freedom and liberty the was beyond human understanding. Even station. ments of officials who are barely liter- same as the people of this great country though they saw I was bleeding every- One must note that the military did not ate, barely articulate. When faced with have aspired to them centuries ago dur- where from my nose, my mouth and my break the law by kidnapping these fifty public criticism, they speak of ‘crushing,’ ing the British colonization. Thus, in ears, they still tortured me. At one point, activists because none of the laws of our ‘smashing,’ and ‘hacking.’ They treat the 1975 the East Timorese decided to de- two of the Indonesian special forces, the country apply to the military. Thus, youth of our country, who are sincerely clare independence from Portugal. KOPASSUS, threatened to throw me Andi Arief’s parents can not sue and peacefully attempting to change so- However, because of greed and power, alive into the sea. This method of torture Kopassus for arresting their son with- ciety, as though they were foreign agents the independence of the small nation of is one among many systematic methods out a warrant and holding him in deten- bent on subversion. We are not citizens East Timor could not survive. of torture carried out by the Indonesian tion without a habeas corpus. This is of a state; we are subjects of a modern, On December 7, 1975 Indonesia special forces, KOPASSUS. This unit is precisely what makes ordinary citizens militarized sultanate. launched a bloody invasion of East one of the worst Indonesian armed forces so terrified of the military: it is unpre- It is obvious today that Suharto’s reign Timor. The invasion was an act of ag- in East Timor. They are the ones that dictable and unaccountable. is coming to a miserable end. A neces- gression and violated international law tortured me and continue to do so to It has been said that one can judge a sary condition for democracy in Indo- and the United Nations resolution 1415 other Timorese. government by its prisons. Well then, let nesia is the ending of Suharto’s presi- (XV) which strongly observed the right Mr. Chairman, allow me to share with us look at Indonesian prisons. There we dency. But it is not a sufficient condi- to self-determination of every people un- you other related stories that happened will find people whose only crime was tion. The military, with its dual function, der colonial rule. to two of my friends Domingos Seixas to criticize the government. Sri Bintang is prepared to continue Suhartoism with- The invasion of East Timor was com- and Henrique Belmiro. Domingos Seixas Pamungkas, the leader of an indepen- out Suharto. What I mean is that the parable to the invasion of Kuwait by was sentenced to 12 years in prison. On dent political party, criticized the govern- sources of the systematic human rights Saddam Hussein armed forces and the day when he was arrested he was ment. He is now in Cipinang prison in abuses we see today are not going to slaughtered hundreds of unarmed civil- dropped into the ocean with his neck tied Jakarta on charges of subversion. Ac- vanish with the demise of the Suharto ians. I was 12 years old at the time when up into a heavy rock. For some reason, companying him in that prison are 12 presidency. For genuine democracy to Indonesia invaded East Timor. In East the rock slipped away and Domingos members of the banned People’s Demo- exist in Indonesia, our laws will have to Timor more than 60,000 civilians of dif- survived the attempted drowning. cratic Party (PRD) convicted of thought be changed to embody basic principles ferent ethnic groups (Timorese, Chi- Domingos was taken to prison where his crimes. In the language of the prosecu- of human rights and the military will

- 10 - - 7 - have to be confined to the barracks and ment could proceed, what is the prospect gime have by now reached the point of now. We, living in other parts of the put under civilian oversight. of the Indonesian people under the IMF no return. The Indonesian people, now country, hardly hear anything about it Economics bailout? In short, we are now expected that they have had the opportunity to and what we do hear are government For the past 33 years we have been to suffer even more to pay off a debt that express their long suppressed grievances whitewashes. We have been told by the told that martial law was necessary for we did not incur. Thanks to the Suharto against this regime, are not going to be Suharto regime and the U.S. govern- our material benefit. The religion of the regime’s deal with the IMF, all Indone- satisfied until it falls. Democracy is a ment to exchange our political freedoms government, its legitimating ideology, sians have been put into debt bondage. rare commodity these days but it is no for economic prosperity. We have has been economic development, what Our labor and resources are supposed less vital to us than rice. wound up with neither. is called in Indonesian, pembangunan. But to be devoted to paying off the debt for It is paradoxical that the IMF is will- Recommendations what do we have to show for thirty years the next generation. Meanwhile, those ing to dictate terms to Suharto when it As U.S. Congressmen, you must re- of development? Two hundred families 200 families who contracted the debt comes to managing the economy but not alize that the only force that the military have fat Swiss bank accounts while mil- have enough money in their own per- when it comes to fundamental economic appears to feel accountable to is the U.S. lions of people have had their land ex- sonal accounts to pay it off many times rights, such as the right of workers to government. You greatly determine propriated. A few timber contractors over. Is it possible to deny that this cur- organize. The IMF refuses to insist that, whether the Indonesian government re- and palm oil companies have accumu- rent economic austerity plan by the IMF as a condition for receiving the loans, the ceives economic aid from the IMF and lated fortunes while chopping and burn- is a gross injustice? The Indonesian government recognize workers rights. It political legitimacy in international fora ing down most of the rain forest. Thirty people never approved of accepting all calls that meddling in the internal affairs such as the United Nations. I can as- years of development has meant the vic- those loans. We weren’t even allowed to of Indonesia – when it already controls sure you that the Suharto regime, feel- timization of many Indonesians. And know what the government’s economic the government’s economic policy. If the ing entirely unaccountable to the Indo- we have not heard their laments because policy was for all those years. Not even IMF’s agreement meddled in such a way nesian people, does feel beholden to the there is no freedom to criticize what the our farcical showcase parliament was as to allow the Indonesian people to have U.S. government. It panics on seeing state calls its ‘development program.’ given authority over economic policy, a greater voice over economic policy any sign of displeasure with it here in Thirty plus years of development un- nor is it given any authority now. But then perhaps the U.S. Congress should Washington. der martial law has meant the accumu- the IMF is telling us that we have to support it. But, as it stands, the agree- I urge you to listen to more people than lation of an enormous debt. For thirty share the debt burden equally. While it ment is a worthless piece of paper signed just Indonesian government officials and years, the United States, Japan and is apparently acceptable to the IMF that by a collapsing dictator. retired State Department officials. Since Europe provided billions of dollars an- political power is monopolized, it abso- The IMF money is not going to ben- the government has not allowed opposi- nually as foreign aid to the Suharto re- lutely insists that the debt be democrati- efit us. As you know, much of the money tion political leaders or parties to exist, gime. The U.S. government, since Su- cally distributed. Those governments will be simply transferred as debt pay- it may seem difficult to know to whom harto took power in 1965 by ordering that have loaned money to the Suharto ments to foreign banks that made risky one should listen. I suggest that you lis- the massacre of thousands of people, has regime and its crony capitalists for the loans to the Indonesian government and ten to those who have had the determi- consistently maintained that his regime past thirty years are now supporting the Indonesian enterprises. These payments nation to sacrifice for their beliefs and provides stability and security. Every IMF’s agreement. Thus, they appear to are supposed to restore “investor confi- the bravery to risk military violence to single U.S. president since Nixon, in- us like heroin pushers who, after keep- dence” but one has to wonder what kind assert what they believe to be the truth. cluding the present incumbent, has, to ing an addict hooked for years and driv- of investors believe in being rewarded for You should listen to people such as Sri their shame, celebrated the Suharto re- ing him ever deeper in debt, throw him bad decisions. It is astonishing that the Bintang Pamungkas who has demanded gime for its economic accomplishments back on his family when he is near col- foreign banks that made risky loans to a the international community refrain and political stability. In effect, the U.S. lapse, telling them that they have to foot corrupt and unstable economic system from loaning money and giving military government has said that the Indone- the bill for his rehabilitation and for all want to be repaid in full for their bad aid to Indonesia until a democratic re- sian people were best kept under the his past debts. decisions, and by the Indonesian people. gime can be established. You should es- thumb of a sultanate and that democ- Please do not believe that you are do- Look at the tragic conditions Indone- pecially listen to the youth, such as Pius racy was opposed to our best interests. ing us any favors by authorizing money sia is now in after thirty years of U.S.- Lustrilanang, who have no interests U.S. academics and retired Foreign for the IMF loans to Indonesia. We need supported stability and development. In- other than those of the nation. Service personnel, such as those at the democracy to settle our economic prob- donesia has an abundance of fertile land In conclusion, I recommend that: U.S.-Indonesia Society here in Wash- lems but that is not a word you will find yet we are now begging other countries 1) The U.S. military not assist the In- ington, have been saying that Indone- in the agreement between Suharto and to give us supplies of our staple food: rice. donesian military. The U.S. govern- sians would just have to sacrifice their the IMF. The IMF, with the blessing of The Food and Agricultural Organiza- ment should restrict itself to civilian political freedoms for economic growth. the Clinton administration, is hoping to tion estimates that Indonesia needs to be relations with the Suharto regime. The economic crisis of the past nine engineer an economic recovery under the given 2,000,000 tons of rice for the 7.5 2) The U.S. Congress should not au- months has put an end to these cynical conditions of institutionalized martial million Indonesians who will require thorize money for the IMF to be propositions. law. This is, I assure you, an impossible “food assistance” within the next year. loaned to the Suharto regime. Now, after suffering so that develop- dream. Protests against the Suharto re- There is a famine in eastern Indonesia

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