[asia-apec 118] Japanese NGOs demand the government re. the 7/27 crackdown

[by way of daga <daga at hk.super.net>]

Japan NGO Network on Indonesia (JANNI)
Press Conference Report

Foreign Ministry Officials Say,
"We are expressing our concern to Indonesia."

Today, on September 19, representatives of fifty Japanese NGOs and two MPs
visited the Foreign Ministry and handed a petition addressed to Foreign
Minister Yukihiko Ikeda regarding the recent crackdown in Indonesia to
Section Chief Kenji Hiramatsu.

The meeting with Foreign Ministry officials was held in a room in the
Ministry and lasted for 80 minutes.  The officials of the Indonesian section
who received the representatives said that they personally acknowledged that
what happened in Indonesia was terrible, but they asserted that as a
government  it would be difficult for Japan to ask Indonesia to do this or
that. They also said that the Japanese government had communicated its
concerns to the Indonesian government and said that the detainees should be
treated in accordance with the law.  

The Government of Japan (GOJ) understands that significant political
elements exist behind the July 27 incident. From the begging the GOJ
demanded the Government of Indonesia (GOI) to solve the problems peacefully.
Also the government has been concerned about the ongoing crackdowns after
the riots.a

The following is the answers given by the officials in the meeting to the
five points of the joint petition.

1. The Japanese government cannot say which party is wrong, therefore cannot
condemn the government's use of violence against Megawati supporters.

2. The Japanese government cannot demand an immediate release of the
detainees while the facts behind their charges have not been clear.

3. The Anti-Subversion Law  has existed as a law accepted by the people of
Indonesia for the past thirty years with their own historical factors.  A
foreign government cannot say that it should be repealed.  

4.  The Japanese government will continue to monitor the developments and
actually is asking that information regarding such as contents of charges
and the names of the arrested or detained should be disclosed.  

5. "The basic human rights and freedom" can vary from country to country
according to history and culture.  If the Indonesian government clearly
violates its own law to an intolerable extent, then the Japanese government
will reconsider its aid policies. 

There was a heated discussion between the NGO representatives and the
officials regarding the concept of "basic human rights".  The officials say
they are different in various countries and Japan (and other governments)
cannot impose their own concepts to others.  The NGOs asserted that "basic
human rights" are not supposed to be different, and this is why they are
called "basic".  The overall policies can be comprehensive because of
diplomatic considerations, but assessment of human rights situation is not
supposed to be case-by-case.  This is why NGOs are asking the government
whether it thinks the present crackdown in Indonesia constitutes a violation
of basic human rights.  The assessment should be made according to
international standard, not by double-standard.  

Apart from the meeting, the Mainichi shimbun on September 14 carried an
interesting article on a talk among the four Japanese ambassadors to Asia.
In the article, Ambassador to Indonesia Mr. Taizo Watanabe said, "there
occurred demonstrations and stone-throwing, but it does not seem that they
are trying to topple down the government. .... The feeling that they need to
reform the government is widespread among the Indonesians. 

After the meeting, the NGOs made a press conference at the Kasumi Club (of
journalists attached to the Foreign Ministry) and explained to them about
the Indonesia's crackdown and activities of NGOs concerned with Indonesia.

For further information;
Japan NGO Network on Indonesia(JANNI)
Ohmura Bldg. 3F, 2-36-8 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 
Tokyo, JAPAN
Tel: +81-3-3818-7012
Fax:+81-3-3818-1734
-----------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Yukihiko Ikeda 
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Dear Sir,

We are deeply concerned about the July 27 raid conducted by Indonesian
police authorities on the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party,
the forcible eviction of supporters of Ms. Megawati Sukarnoputri from the
headquarters, and the Indonesian Government's subsequent response to the
rioting which was triggered by this raid.

The July 27 raid on the Indonesian Democratic Party headquarters has its
origins in the Indonesian Government's interference with the party's
internal affairs: the supporters of Ms. Megawati who were evicted had been
occupying the headquarters to oppose the Government-backed removal of Ms.
Megawati as chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party. Following the
rioting, the Indonesian Government arrested on July 30 Muchtar Pakpahan,
leader of the Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI), and subsequently several
others, including Budiman Sudjatmiko, leader of the Democratic People's
Party (PRD), and other PRD supporters, who the Government suspects of being
involved in the July 27 rioting. Yet, all those arrested have denied the
Government's accusation that they were involved in the July 27 rioting.
Furthermore, there are among those arrested some whose location of detention
has been kept secret, and who are denied access to family interviews or
legal counsel, and some have reportedly been subjected to torture. The
Subvervsion Law, upon which the charges are made, allows the Government to
arrest and detain without any solid proof of evidence anybody who criticizes
the Government. Because it ignores the fundamental rights of those detained
or arrested, and encourages a grave violation of human rights, including
torture, "disappearances", and extra-judicial executions, Indonesia's
National Commission on Human Rights has long called for a repeal of this law.

These actions by the Indonesian Government clearly represent a step
backwards in the process of democratization. It has been reported in the
press that the Japanese Government plans to present, through Mr. Watanabe,
the Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, to the Indonesian Government by August
14 an official request stating that the Japanese Government is "keeping an
eye on the situation, and requests that the arrested pro-democracy activists
are treated under the proper legal procedures."(Mainichi Sokuho, Aug. 15)
However, we consider this statement to be inadequate, and demand that the
Japanese Government further take the following measures:

1. Make an official statement of protest against the Indonesian Government's
decision to use violent force, employing the police to raid the headquarters
of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), which left scores of injured people.

2. Demand that the Indonesian Government immediately release the names of
all detainees/arrestees, their whereabouts and detailed account of charges
which have been laid against them. Furthermore, demand the immediate
unconditional release of Muchtar Pakpahan, Budiman Sudjatmiko and all others
who have been arrested or detained solely for peaceful activities. 

3. Convey to the Indonesian Government in clear terms Japan's objection to
the reported acts of torture and to the denial of the detainees/arrestees
right to access to family and legal counsel, and furthermore to the
application of the Subversion Law, which allows such violations of
fundamental human rights.

4. Demand that the upcoming trials are both open and fair. Make it known
that, if someone whose only "crime" was to carry out peaceful activities is
found guilty, the Japanese Government may feel obliged to adopt new measures
against the Indonesian Government.

5. Seriously consider the suspension of ongoing Japanese ODA projects in
Indonesia and postponement of planned projects, based on the Japan Official
Development Assistance Charter, which states specifically that "full
attention should be paid to efforts for promoting democratization ... and
the situation regarding the securing of basic human rights and freedoms in
the recipient country."

19  September, 1996

Endorsed by;
Institute for Alternative Community Development (IACOD)
Japan NGO Network on Indonesia (JANNI)
Japan Tropical Forest Action Network (JATAN)
Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC)
Friends of the Earth Japan (FOEJ)
Japan International volunteer Center (JVC)
Many East Timor Support Groups

and other 43 NGOs and 26 individuals