It has been confirmed that Desmond Mahesa, Director of the Nusantara Legal Aid Institute, Jakarta, and Pius Lustrilanag, Secretary-general of Aldera, who have been missing since 3 February, are now back home with their families. Desmond has returned to Banjarmasin and Pius has returned to Palembang, South Sumatra.

This has been confirmed by Munir, chief of the operational department of the YLBHI, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, on 6 April. 'I spoke with Desmond's parents who confirmed that he has been back with them since 3 April,' said Munir. He did not know where Desmond had been for the past two months.

Pius's aunt, Mrs Sunarti Hardiwan confirmed that he nephew had returned to Palembang. 'He arrived back safely and is now in Palembang,' she said. He returned five days ago, she said, speaking from Yogyakarta. 'I don't know where he was for the two months he was absent,' she said. 'All he said was that he had disappeared. That's all.'

She said he was in reasonably good health, but he did not want to say much about where he had been.

With the return home of Desmond and Pius, the seven other activists whose whereabouts are still unknown are: Andi Arief (politics student at Gadjah Mada University and PRD activist), Haryanto Taslam (deputy secretary-general of the pro-Megawati PDI), Herman Hendrawan (student at Airlangga Universtiy, Surabaya), Rahardjo Waluyo Djati, Nezar Patria (student at the Literature Faculty of Gadjah Mada University) Faisal Riza (student at the philosophy faculty of UGM) and Mugianto (student).