Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – A number of NGOs concerned with human rights filed a report to the Judicial Commission on alleged judiciary corruption practices in the 1984 Tanjung Priok riot case.
On Sep. 12, 1984, in Tanjung Priok, security forces fired on Muslim protesters demonstrating against a new regulation requiring all organizations to adopt the Pancasila in their ideologies. The number of people killed remains a point of contention.
Representatives from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Union of the Tanjung Priok Victims' Families (Ikkapri), and the Muslim Society for People Advocacy (Syarikat) on Tuesday urged the Commission to investigate the alleged conspiracy surrounding the trials.
"We found many irregularities in the judicial process that ran from 2003 to 2005, raising suspicion that there may have been a conspiracy," Usman Hamid from Kontras said.
The ad-hoc human rights court in 2003 acquitted all 14 military officers accused of the killings and torture during the incident. The following year, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal against the acquittal and the alleged perpetrators remain free.
Official reports said 24 were killed and 54 injured in the 1984 tragedy, but the victims' families claim a death toll of more than 100.
Usman said the NGOs found at least two indications of corrupt judicial practices in the trials.
"First, many witnesses admitted they were bought off with money, motorcycles and other gifts. This is certainly indicative of external influences to the sworn testimonies," he said.
Second, he added, many facts recounted in the trials did not reflect what happened, according to some witnesses, an indication of the judges' involvement.
"Witness testimonies were changed. For example, during questioning, a witness testified that he was hit with a firearm. At the trial, the indictment said the same witness was slapped [by hand]," Usman said.
He also alleged that prosecutors deliberately ignored key evidence against the defendants.
Responding to the report, Commission chairman Busyro Muqoddas said investigating bias by the judges in the case would not be easy. The Commission would study the report to see if judge's had violated the code of ethics, he added.
"A case review is also still possible despite the Supreme Court's rejection of the appeal. If there is new evidence, the Attorney General's Office can request a case review."
Busyro blamed the Tanjung Priok incident on Soeharto's repressive New Order regime. "During the New Order era, physical strength was more powerful than justice. The Indonesian Military and the National Police were entirely under the president's control," he said.
Denny Indrayana from the judicial corruption eradication taskforce attended the meeting and promised that the taskforce would help probe alleged ethical violations by judges during the trials.
Soeharto was highly suspicious of popular movements, especially those centered around community mosques. Activities at mosques were closely monitored by the state.
The Tanjung Priok rallies were triggered by an incident in which a military officer entered a mosque at Koja in Priok without taking off his shoes, which is considered an offense. He also removed pamphlets deemed subversive.