Komnas HAM chair harassed by Kopassus supporters in Yogya The first trial in the Cebongan Penitentiary murder case at Yogyakarta Military Court was marred when National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) chairperson Siti Noor Laila was harassed by supporters of the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) soldiers, who were being tried. Siti, along with her staff, was chased out of the courtroom and shouted at by a group of people believed to be the supporters of Kopassus, as they left the military court on Thursday. “Where is Komnas HAM? I will talk to them so they will not cherry pick facts about the case,” Jiyono, one of the Kopassus supporters, said. On Wednesday, Komnas HAM announced a report on its inquiry into the execution-style killings of the Cebongan detainees, highlighting the possible complicity of higher-ranking Kopassus officers. The commission also deemed the murders a human rights violation and urged the military tribunal to investigate those other than the 12 members of the Kopassus Kandang Menjangan Group, who were already implicated in the murders. “I was chased by Kopassus supporters just after the trial session ended,” Siti said. “Some were wearing black outfits. They crowded around us and hit the car,” Siti said. Siti said that if an official from a state-backed institution could be harassed by members of vigilante groups, she was concerned that witnesses in the trial could suffer worse. “It was alright for us, but not for witnesses,” she added. “This is already on our record. We don’t recommend the witnesses to testify under such conditions, with these people outside the trial, putting pressure on the witnesses.” Siti then slammed the Yogyakarta Police and the local Army commander for failing to provide enough security for the trial. The police and the army dispatched more than 400 personnel, with two Barracuda armored vehicles and Gegana bomb team car, to safeguard the trial. However, the security appeared less heavy compared to the security at the trial of gang leader John Kei at the Central Jakarta District Court last year, with 650 officers, and the ongoing trial of reputed gang leader Hercules Rozario Marshal at the West Jakarta District Court, with 700 personnel. “It was not enough. Those people managed to enter the court building and gathered just in front of the courtroom door,” Siti said. Hundreds of residents and members of mass organizations came to see the trial, flashing dozens of banners, such as: “Judges, please consider the Kopassus services for Yogyakarta” and “Yogyakarta people are ready to take the place of the 12 noble Kopassus members”. Siti said given the tension within and around the courtroom, there should be protection for witnesses, including by setting up teleconferencing facilities. Ten eyewitnesses have requested to testify via teleconference. Amnesty International warned the trial would likely be “little more than a sham [...] used to shield human rights violators”, as the majority of the Kopassus forces — which have been accused of human rights violations — have never been tried in an independent court for such crimes. “They are biased, and they create an intimidating environment for witnesses to testify,” deputy director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Program Isabelle Arradon said in a press release. Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Adm. Agus Suhartono said that there was little that they could do to people on the sidelines of the trial. “They are not military personnel, am I right?” he said. “We will tighten the security later.”
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 07:13:06 +0000
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