Antara, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will kick off the non-judicial settlement of cases of past gross human rights violations in Aceh, said Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Mahfud Md on Monday, June 12.
"On June 27, the President will announce what the government has completed regarding past gross human rights violations. There will be a kick-off in Rumoh Geudong, Pidie District," Mahfud said on Monday in Lhokseumawe City, Aceh.
The location is chosen as it is the place of the Rumoh Geudong Tragedy, the torture of the Aceh people by the authorities during the conflict in 1989-1998 in the traditional Acehnese house used as the headquarters of the apparatus in Bili Village, Aron Village, Glumpang Tiga District, Pidie.
President Jokowi previously stated that the government acknowledges the occurrence of gross human rights violations in at least 12 incidents. In Aceh, there are three cases namely the Rumoh Geudong and Sattis Post incidents in Pidie 1989, the 1999 North Aceh KKA Simpang Incident, and the 2003 Jambo Keupok Aceh Selatan incident.
Despite the non-judicial settlement, Mahfud emphasized that law enforcement for human rights violations in Aceh will not stop and will proceed. Currently, the case is being handled by the ad hoc team of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).
"Cases of past human rights violations will not be closed and matters of proof are still ongoing in court. The government has much to do in this regard," Mahfud remarked.
According to him, the past cases also resulted in damage to houses, mosques, and other infrastructure so the government will conduct rehabilitation. "Besides physical rehabilitation, the government will also carry out social rehabilitation. I don't know exactly the total, there are various kinds and the President will announce it," he added.
The 12 cases of past gross human rights violations include the 1965 massacre, the 1989 Talangsari massacre, the disappearances of pro-democracy activists in 1997-1998, the 1998 Rumoh Geudong case in Aceh, the May 1998 Riots, Trisakti Shooting Tragedy, Semanggi I and II Shooting Tragedy, the Banyuwangi Massacre in 1998-1999, the 1993 Simpang Kertas Kraft Aceh (KAA) incident in Aceh, Wasior and Wamena incident in 2001, Jambo Keupok Aceh incident in 2003, Munir's murder, and the Bloody Paniai case.