Nuruddin Lazuardi/Fitri & Lyndal Meehan, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, or Kontras, has demanded the Attorney General's office investigate the disappearance of Jafar Siddiq Hamzah, the head of the International Forum for Aceh (IFA).

Kontras claim that Jafar's disappearance is inextricably linked to his activities in fighting for human rights in strife-torn Aceh. "The AG should give special consideration to the case by conducting an investigation on his disappearance because Jafar was the head of a consortium which continually concerned itself with human rights abuses," the head of Kontras's Advisory Board, Munir, told the press. He had just emerged from a meeting with AG Marzuki Darusman at his office today.

Jafar disappeared on Saturday 5 August 2000 during a visit to Medan to set up an NGO. His whereabouts remain unknown.

Munir also expressed Kontras' disappointment with the Bukit Barisan Military Area Commander who refused to meet and coordinate inquiries with Jafar's family. "We see it as a very uncooperative action," Munir said assertively.

From information gathered by Kontras, Munir stated that Jafar's disappearance is linked to his political activities. Dedicated to investigating and revealing human rights abuses to the public, Jafar had made certain quarters uneasy. Munir added this case is also tied to other instances of disappearances from Medan in recent months.

Munir added that he had also discussed the investigations into the Tanjung Priok incident with Marzuki. They have agreed to hold regular meetings between the AG, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and Kontras to investigate the case.

In the meeting, Munir suggested the AG alter standards in the investigation of the Tanjung Priok case to bring them into line with global standards. Kontras has also submitted several reports outlining the forgery of the identities of victims as well as the identities of those who carried out the massacre in the Tanjung Priok port area in 1984.