London – Serious human rights violations occurred in Indonesia in 1998 including hundreds of arrests, dozens of killings, torture and disappearances, Amnesty International said Wednesday.
In its annual review it unveiled a catalogue of abuses leading up to the fall of strongman Suharto in May 1998, which continued under his successor President B.J. Habibie despite the start of political reforms.
"While at least 179 political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, sentenced in previous years were released, at least 172 remained in custody," Amnesty said.
At least 358 prisoners of conscience were detained. "Torture and 'disappearances' continued. Dozens of people were killed by the security forces in suspicious circumstances."
"Previous cases of 'disappearances' and extrajudicial executions remained unresolved," it added.
Amnesty said it had repeatedly appealed for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoners of conscience, and an end to torture, 'disappearances' and extrajudicial executions.
It highlighted the "unlawful" killings of four university students in Jakarta in May 1998, just days before Suharto stepped down ending his 32-year iron-fisted rule.
The killings sparked riots in which at least 1,000 people died and a government investigating team found that 66 women mostly ethnic Chinese, had been raped.
"The team recommended that those responsible be brought to justice, but by the end of the year no one had been charged," the report added.
It also highlighted problems in the troubled territory of East Timor and the province of Aceh, with reports of extrajudicial executions.
While at least three East Timorese prisoners of conscience remained in prison, several others were "arrested during the year for their peaceful activities in support of independence," Amnesty said.
East Timorese will vote in August on whether to accept a broad offer of autonomy under Jakarta or opt for independence.
"Hundreds of people were subjected to short-term arbitrary detention. In East Timor, at least 64 people were arbitrarily detained by the military in July for alleged links to armed opposition groups, despite the fact that the military has no legal authority to conduct arrests," Amnesty said.
"At least 14 East Timorese were sentenced to prison terms after unfair trials on charges of involvement in violent activities."
And 20 men were tried on charges for supporting armed separatists in Aceh after trials which started in 1997.
"Many of the men were tortured, including by electric shocks, during long periods of incommunicado detention by the military. Information about their torture raised during the trials was not investigated or taken into account by the courts."
"There were claims by the armed forces, which were not independently confirmed, that armed opposition groups in East Timor, Aceh and Irian Jaya committed human rights abuses, including deliberate killings," the report added.