Jakarta - During the last ten days, employees organized under the Indonesian Legal Aid Institutes Foundation (YLBHI) have experienced terror actions. Already four persons aiding YLBHI work have been terrorized, and one among them was even almost abducted. One incident of physical terrorization has been officially reported to the Menteng Sector Police.

This was disclosed by LBH Jakarta director Apong Herlina and YLBHI deputy chairman Munir to journalists on Friday (24/4) in Jakarta. The terrorization case reported was the most recent one, namely experienced by Ester Indahyani Jusuf, a lawyer who has handled many political cases at the LBH Jakarta. Other cases not involving physical suffering have not been reported.

Hit by thrown object

Ester explained that on Tuesday (21/4) after buying fried bananas some 100 meters distant from the LBH Jakarta office, somebody threw an object which hit her in the back. She did not know what the object was, but she was bruised and the spot where she was hit became swollen.

She was not certain who did it. Just that afterwards a motorcycle passed her with two black-jacketed persons on it. The Diponegoro road where it happened at the time was practically deserted, so she is fairly certain those people did it. She added that the incident would not deter her, but rather spur her on.

Munir refused to disclose the identities of the other victims, for their safety. But he stressed that they were not YLBHI lawyers, but people assisting in investigations. The form of terrorization they suffered was, among other things, being knocked unconscious from behind while walking to the YLBHI office, being almost hit by motorcycles although traffic was very light, so they were convinced of purposefulness. Another person when on the point of being abducted, turned out not to be the intended target.

He said that terror by telephone happened too often to keep track of, particularly in connection with missing persons. They realized that the terrorization was intended so the workers in this profession would not work at maximum. But they wanted to state that the task of the security apparatus is to safeguard the security of every citizen.