Jakarta – The government was strongly urged Tuesday to reinvestigate the Lampung incident in February l989, which resulted in scores of deaths. Munir, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), who demanded the reinvestigation, said the death toll could be nearly eight times higher than the Armed Forces' (ABRI) account.
Munir made the demand after meeting with students and human rights activists in Bandarlampung, Lampung. Quoting the investigation report, Munir said at least 246 people, including women and children were murdered during the incident when ABRI troops cracked down on the so-called separatist rebels. "According to the government's version the number of fatalities was only 31," Munir said, as quoted by Antara.
The students and activists, who presented the results of their four-month investigation into the two-day riots to Kontras, were from the Solidarity Team of Lampung Students (SMALAM) and Bandarlampung's Legal Aid Institute.
Munir said the Lampung incident was similar to the massacres in Aceh which reportedly occurred from 1991 to 1998, and Tanjung Priok in 1984. "This case cannot be belittled, it is not very different from the Aceh and Tanjung Priok cases and is proof of the military's repressive measures against people," Munir said.
According to the official version, 27 rebels, three security officers and two civilians died during the crackdown in Lampung in 1989. The violence erupted on Feb. 6, when a group calling itself Mujahidin Fisabilillah, attacked a delegation of local authorities and killed an Army captain in Way Jepara, Central Lampung.
The 500-strong group, led by Moslem preacher Warsidi fiercely resisted ABRI's efforts to retrieve the captain's body on the following day. The military operation was led by the Lampung Military Command, then under Col. Hendropriyono. Lt. Gen. Hendropriyono is currently the Minister of Transmigration.
ABRI commander at the time, Gen. Try Sutrisno branded Warsidi's supporters Moslem fundamentalists. Local people however pointed out the incident was caused by land disputes where farmers resisted attempts to take over their land.
According to the SMALAM's report, about 21 people were Illegally detained for periods from two months up to nine years without trial." They were just jailed without any explanations," said Fikri, one of the' student activists.