Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's intention to apologize to families and victims of past human rights abuses and draft a mechanism for compensation falls short of the expectations of those seeking justice.

On Friday, families of several activists who were forcibly disappeared in 1997/1998 went to the Ombudsman's office, calling for the government to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Accompanied by Commission for Missing Person and Victims of Violence (KontraS) coordinator Haris Azhar, they filed a report accusing the President of negligence for not setting up an ad hoc court to examine the missing activists case.

In September 2009, the House recommended the President to form an ad hoc human rights court to solve the case.

"According to the 2008 Law on Ombudsman, such negligence falls under the category of maladministration and it is under the authority of the Ombudsman to follow up," he said.

"We want the Ombudsman to investigate this negligence and to guarantee the families of the victims this case will be examined thoroughly. The result of such an investigation should be made to public." Under the 2000 Law on Human Rights Courts, an ad hoc human rights court should be formed by a presidential decree under the House's recommendation to solve any human rights violations including those that occurred prior to the enactment of the law.

Tuti Koto, mother of abducted democracy activist Yani Afri, said she had to accept the fact that she may never know whether her son is dead or alive. "However, the case still has to be legally processed," she said. "I don't want my grandchildren have to face the same fate as my son,"

Yani was a public transportation driver and loyalist of Megawati Soekarnoputri, then opposition leader and chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), which was very critical of Soeharto's government and its ruling party, Golkar. Yani disappeared in 1997 and has never returned since.

Nine victims of abduction, including Pius Lustrilanang – a current member of the House of Representatives from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) – were released alive in 1998.

Victims claim they were abducted by Kopassus, an elite Army unit which has since admitted its role in the abductions. However, Kopassus also claims everybody taken during that time has been set free. Thirteen, including Yani, are still missing. All were activists or linked directly with political parties.

"We have submitted the recommendations of Komnas HAM [The National Commission on Human Rights] to the Attorney General's Office [AGO] since 2006. But, the AGO keeps on saying the file was incomplete or the case had been settled by the military court," Harris said. (aml)