Andi Arief, the ex-chairperson of Student Solidarity for Indonesian Democracy (Solidaritas Mahsiswa Indonesia untuk Demokrasi, SMID), one of the affiliated mass organisations of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), who has been sought by the authorities for some time, was arrested Saturday morning (28/3) at around 10.30am. He was arrested at a house owned by his older brother. Andi Arief's family have reported the arrest to the Lampung Legal Aid Institute (LBH). At the time of this report, there has been no further news from his family. LBH Lampung has taken on the case.

Previously, three other PRD activists, who were arrested at an apartment in Klender (13/3), Nezar Patria, Mugiyanto and Aan Rusdi, have been tortured. An AJI News source said that they were tortured when they were interrogated at an extra-judicial [read military intelligence - JB] headquarters . The three were tortured before they were handed over to police who are to carry out the official investigation.

They were seriously hurt after being beaten and electrocuted. It is believed the interrogation was intended to obtain information about the whereabouts of PRD figures Andi Arief and Daniel Indrakusuma, who the authorities have been searching for since the 1996 July 27 incident. On Thursday, March 12, three other activists are said to have disappeared without a trace. One of the three is Sadli who was last seen when the National Committee for Democratic Struggle (KNPD) held a press conference at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation offices in Central Jakarta. Sadli was last seen at Slipi (Jakarta), when the Indonesian Workers Movement were planning an action on the last day of the special session of the People's Consultative Assembly [which reappointed Suharto as president] on March 11.

[Translated by James Balowski]