Pray for Soeharto: Truth and Justice for Soeharto and Victims of Human Rights Violations

It has been a week for Soeharto at RSPP for instensive medical treatment. We, the victims of human rights violations uncer the Solidarity Network of Families of the Victims (JSKK) really understand the pain experienced by Soeharto. Therefore, in the name of humanity, we pray that Soeharto will get better soon. However, during this sad time, we feel disappointed that many people, in the name of humanity, are asking the legal process of Soeharto to be halted. For us, the essence of humanity is truth and justice. Therefore, humanity could not hide behind truth and justice. We feel sympathy to whoever in ill condition, including Soeharto. However, humanity is not something to cover up truth and justice. We should uphold the two on this earth.

Humanity gives us lesson to seek the truth and justice for the pain, hurt and suffer we have received. For us, the history has wounded the nation seriously in cases such as the 1965 tragedy, mysterious shooting 1981-1985, Tanjung Priok 1984, Talangsari 1989, Militray Operation in Aceh 1989-1998, Papua 1963-2003, 27 July 2006, activits’ kidnapping 1997-1998, Trisakti Semanggi 1998, May Riot 1998 and many other human right violations cases. We feel unpleasant to the New Order practices under leadership of Soeharto and his cronies and they have jeopardized the meaning of humanity.

Our children, our fathers, our hushbands, our wives, our sisters, our brothers, our relatives, our friends and us, we have been disappeared, jailed with torture, discriminated with all possible ways by the hands of authoritarian regime, the New Order of Soeharto. To date, no truth and justice has been upholded so repetition still takes palce. Same things also happen in cases of corruption, collution and nepotism of Soeharto. Now, when Soeharto is in ill condition, may people who have never felt of our wound and humanity suffer, are asking to stop the legal process of Soeharto. To us, that opinion is reflecting merely political interest and not the real meaning of humanity.

For us, if this nation does not want to walk under the dark of its history forever, then the real humanity is “truth and justice for us and Soeharto”. We therefore hope:

1. The fact that Soeharto is now sick should be a trigger for Komnas HAM, the House of Representatives (DPR), President and the Attorney General, to carry out legal process of all human rights violations under Soeharto administration (Law 26/2000 on Human Righst Court)

2. The fact that Soeharto is sick is not a reason for the Attorney General not to follow the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Decree No. XI/1998 article 4 which says “Efforts in combating corruption, collution and nepotism should be carried out strictly to anyone: government officers, former government officers, families, and their cronies, private sector/conglomerates including former President Soeharto, with respecting presumption of innocent and human rights.”

3. The meaning of humanity should be placed on its real meaning, not as a tool to leave truth and justice far behind nor as a tool to protect particular group or person

Jakarta, 11 January 2008

JSKK
(Jaringan Solidaritas Keluarga korban Pelanggaran HAM/the Solidarity Network of Families of Human Rights Violations Victims)