Indonesia Rejects People's Court Ruling on 1960s Killings

Jakarta, 17 Syawal 1437/22 July 2016 (MINA) – Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan stated here on Thursday that the recent decision of the International Peoples Tribunal (IPT) is illogical.

IPT has said the Indonesian government must be held responsible for the human rights violations that have happened in the country in 1965.

The tribunal is a mere non-governmental organization and so it is not appropriate to equalize it with the government, Luhut was quoted by Antara as saying.

“That does make sense to me. It is a mere NGO. How can an NGO be my counterpart? Think of it,” he said while commenting on the issue at his office.

The minister also doubted the truth of the information contained in IPTs decision that Indonesia had committed crimes against humanity in 1965-1966, including the killing of 400,000 to 500,000 members, alleged members of the then Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and supporters of President Soekarno and members of the radical Indonesia Nationalist Party (PNI) and their families.

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He said the figures were not tabulated, based upon accurate data, but from a mere report filed by a fact-finding team led by then retired Major General Sumarno before President Soekarno.

Luhut pointed out that he knew it from retired Lieutenant General Sintong Pandjaitan, who was in charge of leading the armys special force Kopassus (RPKAD) in Pati, Central Java, in 1965.

“Sumarno mentioned 75,000, but then Bung Karno (President Soekarno) argued how could the number be that small? No, it is wrong. It has to be four times that. So, it comes to 400,000. Thats what he (Sumarno) said then. Of course we understand that the situation then is not as transparent as it is now,” Luhut said.

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He said the Indonesian government would not consider IPTs decision because it was made based merely on assumptions.

Not formal international court

The tribunal also accused the US of being complicit in the massacres by providing lists of alleged communist party officials to the Indonesians, and said Britain and Australia had recycled the Indonesian army’s propaganda.

A spokesman for Australia’s foreign affairs ministry said the court was “not a formal international court or tribunal, but a human rights NGO” and that Canberra rejected “any suggestion that it was complicit in any way in those events of 50 years ago”.

The British and American embassies in Jakarta did not immediately comment.

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The tribunal would have to submit its decision to the Indonesian government following the end of the session in The Hague, Netherlands, on November 10 to 13, 2015, which was led by Chief Judge Zak Yacoob.

In a written statement received here on Wednesday (July 20), the coordinator of IPT 1965, Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, said the IPTs decision would be submitted to President Joko Widodo during a meeting with the victims of human rights violations that the President has promised through his spokesman, Johan Budi.

President Joko Widodo, seen as a break from a string of rulers with roots in the authoritarian past, has backed public discussions about the killings, but has also refused to apologise on behalf of the state for them. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)