Joins Statement on respecting the rights of the victims

We are the families of the victims of cases: Tanjung Priok 1984, Talangsari Lampung 1989, May 1998, Trisakti tragedy 1998, Semanggi tragedy 1998-1999, activists kidnapping 1997-1998, 1965 Tragedy, hereby declare that we feel sorry with the health condition of former President Soeharto.

However, we feel very sorry on the weak position of the Government and the House of Representatives as well as the idea “to forgive Soeharto” mentioned by many people without fair consideration between humanity aspect of Soeharto and justice for the victims.

In principle, if the Government seriously want to give us justice, it is not difficult to us to forgive Soeharto.

Our concern is the solution of serious human rights violations experienced by our children and our relatives. The solution will reveal the truth on what really happened to our children as they are victims of violence activities of the New Order led by President Soeharto.

Justice is more than just punishing the perpetrators, whether the mastermind or field agent. Justice also means rehabilitation and returning the rights of the victims as they were.

We are very certain that the obligation to solve the human rights cases in the past as described above lies in the shoulders of the state.

We feel very sorry since no appropriate action from the government, post-Soeharto government in particular, to solve the human rights cases.

We are in view, this is the reason that the debate to forgive Soeharto is difficult to be accepted since the government never explain, “forgive on what mistakes”

Therefore, we are demanding the current government (SBY-JK administration) to provide public confession on the wrongdoings of the state in the past. This is very important as a starting point that the government is supporting human rights issues. We will feel very unfairly treated, discriminated and abandoned from justice if humanity only belongs to Soeharto.

Jakarta, 15 January 2008

KontraS and Representative of Human Rights Violations Victims