Kompas - January 6, 2010
Jakarta – A coalition of
non-government organisations (NGOs) have expressed their opposition to the
appointment of Lieutenant General Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as Deputy Minister of
Defense saying that he was involved in many cases of gross human rights crimes
when he was an active member of the Indonesian military (TNI).
This was conveyed by a
number of NGOs including, among others, the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG),
the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the Setara Institute and the Institute
for Public Research and Advocacy (Elsam) during a press conference at the HRWG
offices on Jl. RP Soeroso in Central Jakarta on Wednesday January 6.
"The appointment of
[Sjamsoeddin] as deputy defense minister has done irreparable damage to victims
of human rights violations sense of justice who are still fighting for
justice," said Kontras Secretary General Oslan Purba.
Similar remarks were made
by HRWG Executive Director Rafendi Djamin. He said that Sjamsoeddin's record of
gross human rights violations should be an important consideration in reviewing
his appointment as deputy defense minister. He cited several recent cases that
have involved Sjamsoeddin such as the abduction of activists in 1997/98, the
May 1998 riots in Jakarta, the Trisakti student shootings and events in East
Timor.
"Last November, even
the US government refused to give a visa to Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin who was then
the secretary general of the Defense Department. This should be a point of reflection
for the government in human rights crimes," said Djamin.
The NGOs also explicitly
called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to reconsider Sjamsoeddin's
appointment, who will be tasked with assisting the Defence Minister in managing
defense industry affairs.
According to Purba, the
position of deputy defense minister should be carried out by a professional
figure that is credible and accountable. "The president must have the
courage to appoint a civilian that understand issues of national defense",
he said.
President Yudhoyono
appointed Sjamsoeddin as deputy defense minister earlier in the afternoon at
the State Palace.
[Translated by James Balowski.]
