---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 Free Email @KotakPos.com visit: http://my.kotakpos.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------- Widespread opposition to koneksitas court in Aceh Many groups in Aceh, in particular human rights activists, are strongly opposed to the holding of a koneksitas (inter-connection) trial to try more than twenty people, mostly soldiers, on charges of taking part in a massacre at a religious school run by Muslim teacher Bantaqiah last July. There have been a number of demonstrations in Banca Aceh rejecting the court. The Student and Youth Communications Forum of South Aceh (WAKAMPAS), has been holding public forums and displaying posters, lambasting the forthcoming trial as a 'show trial'. The court which combines civil and military laws and judges is based on an article in Indonesia's criminal procedural code. According to Syaifuddin Bantasyam, SH. MA, director of the Human Rights Concern Forum, it has been decided to use this type of court because a special human rights court does not exist. But many groups doubt the suitability of such a trial, especially since the chief suspect, Sudjono has disappeared. Bantasyah told Tempo Interaktif that Sudjono's disappearance 'will make it possible his superior officers to be protected. This means that it will not be possible to bring the persons who planned the massacre to court'. Hence, there is every reason for people to reject such a trial, he said. The Coalition of Human Rights NGOs with a membership of twenty human rights organisations also opposes the trial. 'This will deny the state the opportunity to call the perpetrators to account,' said Maimul Fidar on Tuesday. The coalition decided to conduct an opinion poll. The first results show a huge majority against the koneksitas court. Out of 253 respondents so far, 14,29 % were in favour, while 71,42 % were against. Another of the Coalition's leaders, Halim el-Bambi, said that opposition is strongest among NGOs and students' organisations, while government circles and the military support the court. According to human rights NGOs, the government wants to categorise perpetrators of grave human rights abuses as ordinary criminals. Despite the strength of feeling against the trial, it will go ahead next week. The judges and prosecutors have been named and the suspects and witnesses are due to arrive in Banda Aseh on Wednesday, 12 April. Altogether, 7.727 cases of human rights abuses during the period of DOM have been identified but not yet readied for trial. Thousands more abuses perpetrated during the current military operations known as Operasi Sadar Rencong ! and !!! have not been investigated. Aceh can be described today as a lawless country, whose people live in a constant state of fear. At least two dead bodies are found every day. Homes are being burnt down and grenades are exploding everywhere. Will this koneskitas court be able to fill the judicial vacuum that has been Aceh's fate for so long? Or won't the trial be nothing more than a show, incapable of resolving the legal problems and the human rights abuses?(Tapol from source: Tempo Interaktif) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 15 Apr 2000 jam 17:09:24 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
