ETAN STATEMENT
ON INDONESIA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Contact: John M. Miller,
ETAN, +1-917-690-4391,
john@etan.org
 |
|
|
Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana
cast their vote in Jakarta.
Photo: Reuters/Darren
Whiteside. |
|
July 10- The Indonesian people have voted.
Although the results will not be finalized
for several weeks,
most "quick count" exit polls show that
Jakarta Governor Joko (Jokowi) Widodo is
the apparent winner of Indonesia's third
popular election for President. Although
his opponent former special forces commander
Prabowo Subianto
has yet to concede, barring
fraud during the counting or coup,
Jokowi will take the oath of office in
October.
Jokowi campaigned as a reformer, and most
voters were not swayed by a massive smear
campaign by supporters of his opponent or
Prabowo’s nostalgic appeal to Indonesia’s
authoritarian past. Many voted for Jokowi
expecting a sharp break with that past. Whether
their hopes are met will depend on consistent
pressure from those who want positive change.
The forces of the status quo - from oligarchs
to the military - will certainly be urging
him to maintain and expand their prerogatives.
The fact that Prabowo came so close to winning
despite his horrendous
human rights record shows how entrenched
this status quo remains more than 15 years
after the end of Suharto’s dictatorship.
| |
A number of prominent members of
Jokowi's campaign team face
accusations of serious human rights
violations. President-elect Jokowi
should make clear his commitment to
human rights by keeping these and
other tainted officials out of his
administration.
|
Jokowi has responded positively to some
calls for justice for past human rights
violations, including those
from 1998, the year that the three-decade
long dictatorship of Prabowo's former father-in-law
Suharto ended. Jokowi also spoke about
ending restrictions on international
media access to West Papua.
The U.S. government, which
often says it supports accountability
for human rights crimes committed by Indonesian
security forces, should strictly condition
any security assistance on credible trials
for past violations and an end to police
and military rights violations in West Papua
and elsewhere.
The Obama administration should suspend
its
renewed collaboration with Indonesia's
Kopassus special forces until allegations
of improper interference with the election
are independently investigated. Just prior
to the vote, independent journalist Allan
Nairn
reported that Kopassus and the state
intelligence agency (BIN) were "involved
in a covert operation to influence the presidential
election" in Prabowo's favor.
A number of prominent members of Jokowi's
campaign team face accusations of serious
human rights violations. President-elect
Jokowi should make clear his commitment
to human rights by keeping these and other
tainted officials out of his administration
and by making it clear that no one is above
the law.
One prominent backer
is
General Wiranto, who on February 24,
2003, was
indicted for
crimes against humanity by a joint UN-East
Timorese court. Soon after, the U.S. State
Department placed Wiranto on its visa watch
list. Jokowi should work with Timor-Leste
to ensure prosecution either in Timor-Leste
or by international courts for crimes against
humanity and war crimes committed during
Indonesia's illegal invasion and occupation
of its neighbor.
Others in
Jokowi's
campaign team are
also accused of serious
violations of human rights.
General AM Hendropriyono has been implicated
in a 1989 massacre of civilians Central
Lampung, in the
assassination of human rights lawyer Munir
while head of Indonesia’s intelligence agency
(BIN), and in the
forced deportation of over 250,000 people
from East to West Timor in 1999.
Former
BIN deputy chief retired Major General
Muchdi
Purwoprandjono also stands
accused in the murder of Munir.
A U.S.
Department of State cable described
Muchdi, a career Kopassus officer, as
“one of Indonesia's most vindictive public
figures” and placed him “at the
heart of one of the nation's human rights
tragedies--the 1998-99 abductions of student
and pro-democracy activists.”
 |
|
|
Widodo (right) with Retired
General Ryamizard Ryacudu (left)
is known for his hardline
stances. |
|
Former Jakarta Military
Commander Lieutenant General
Sutiyoso is
accused of torture in Timor-Leste. In
2007, an attempt by Australian
investigators to question him about the
October 1975
murder of five Australia-based journalist
in Balibo, Timor-Leste, caused a diplomatic
incident.
Sutiyoso was Jakarta military commander
when thugs backed by troops and police attacked
the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic
Party in 1996.
Retired
General Ryamizard Ryacudu
is a hardliner
known for his xenophobic remarks and criticism
of rights activists. As army chief of staff,
he oversaw the implementation of martial
law in Aceh beginning in May 2003. After
the conviction of several Kopassus
members for the murder of Theys Eluay,
Ryamizard said that “the law says they are guilty. They are
punished. But for me they are heroes.”.
| |
Whether Jokowi voters hopes are
met will depend on consistent
pressure from those who want
positive change. The forces of the
status quo - from oligarchs to the
military - will certainly be urging
him to maintain and expand their
prerogatives.
|
BACKGROUND
Indonesia's electoral commission will
announce the official results on July 20
or 21. If the results are challenged, the
Constitutional Court will announce the final
results
between August 22-24. The winner will
take office on October 20. Indonesia's Parliament,
elected April 8, will be sworn in October
1.
At the end of June, ETAN and more than 30
other organizations
challenged Indonesia's incoming Parliament
and next President to "to break with
the past [and] fully and meaningfully address
the legacy of impunity for past human rights
violations," adding that "the continued
lack of accountability for past and ongoing
violations of human rights threatens lasting
progress."
The
East Timor and Indonesia Action
Network (ETAN) was founded in
1991. ETAN supports democracy, human rights
and justice in Timor-Leste, West Papua and
Indonesia. ETAN is non-partisan. It works
on human rights and related issues and does
not support candidates or political parties
in any country. Website:
www.etan.org Twitter: @etan009.
See also
