Indonesia
12.09.00
Urgent Interventions
Indonesia: Violent Attack/Threats
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
IDN 002 / 0009 / OBS 095
Violent Attack/Threats
Indonesia
12th September 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a programme of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Indonesia.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory has been informed by PIJAR [Pusat Informasi dan Jaringan Aksi Reformasi] that on 6th September 2000, two PIJAR activists, Christian Evert (Secretary-General of PIJAR Indonesia) and Yan Dana Hay (officer of PIJAR Indonesia Jakarta Branch) were brutally beaten by two attackers.
According to the information received, the incident happened shortly after Christian Evert and Yan Dana Hay had attended a demonstration with other PIJAR members and members of the Street Children Solidarity (SAJA) in front of Jakarta City Hall (Mayor’s office) to protest the government’s policy against street people. They were reportedly attacked at the east end of the Pedati Street, several hundred meters from the Secretariat of PIJAR Indonesia.
Yan Dana Hay, who is also a student of Jakarta International Hotels, had to be taken to the emergency room of St. Carolus Hospital after suffering from serious injuries - eight stitches on his head, four stitches on his right hand and damage to his feet. Christian suffered from bruises on his waist after being beaten with an iron stick. One of the two attackers was noted to have been wearing a black t-shirt with "stop kekerasan" (stop violence on it).
This attack follows an anonymous threat by email sent to PIJAR Indonesia’s email account earlier that morning. Someone claiming to be Antonio Blanchoz wrote a rude message and demanded that PIJAR Indonesia dismiss itself. Otherwise, the sender warned, "don't blame us if anything happen to PIJAR's members."
The case has been reported to the Eastern Jakarta Police Headquarters.
The Observatory believes that this incident is a result of the human rights work of PIJAR Indonesia.
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of all members of PIJAR Indonesia;
ii. order an immediate investigation into this attack, and the threats received by PIJAR, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. abide by the provisions of the Declaration on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders adopted on the 9th of December 1998, by the U.N. General Assembly (“Declaration on the right and responsibility of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms”), particularly, Article 12(2) which states that « The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present declaration. ».
iv. more generally abide by the Universal declaration on Human Rights and Covenants and international Conventions ratified by Indonesia.
Addresses
Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid, President of Indonesia, Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Istana Negara, Indonesia. Fax: 62-21- 345 7782
Mr. Marzuki Durusman, National Human Rights Commission, Kartika Chandra Office Tower, R. 201-202, Jl Gatot Subroto, Jakarta, 1206 Indonesia, Fax: 62-21-392 5227
Geneva - Paris, 12th September 2000
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken, quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency Line: Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel. : FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT : + 41 22 809 49 39
E-mail observatoire@iprolink.ch
IDN 002 / 0009 / OBS 095
Violent Attack/Threats
Indonesia
12th September 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a programme of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Indonesia.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory has been informed by PIJAR [Pusat Informasi dan Jaringan Aksi Reformasi] that on 6th September 2000, two PIJAR activists, Christian Evert (Secretary-General of PIJAR Indonesia) and Yan Dana Hay (officer of PIJAR Indonesia Jakarta Branch) were brutally beaten by two attackers.
According to the information received, the incident happened shortly after Christian Evert and Yan Dana Hay had attended a demonstration with other PIJAR members and members of the Street Children Solidarity (SAJA) in front of Jakarta City Hall (Mayor’s office) to protest the government’s policy against street people. They were reportedly attacked at the east end of the Pedati Street, several hundred meters from the Secretariat of PIJAR Indonesia.
Yan Dana Hay, who is also a student of Jakarta International Hotels, had to be taken to the emergency room of St. Carolus Hospital after suffering from serious injuries - eight stitches on his head, four stitches on his right hand and damage to his feet. Christian suffered from bruises on his waist after being beaten with an iron stick. One of the two attackers was noted to have been wearing a black t-shirt with "stop kekerasan" (stop violence on it).
This attack follows an anonymous threat by email sent to PIJAR Indonesia’s email account earlier that morning. Someone claiming to be Antonio Blanchoz wrote a rude message and demanded that PIJAR Indonesia dismiss itself. Otherwise, the sender warned, "don't blame us if anything happen to PIJAR's members."
The case has been reported to the Eastern Jakarta Police Headquarters.
The Observatory believes that this incident is a result of the human rights work of PIJAR Indonesia.
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of all members of PIJAR Indonesia;
ii. order an immediate investigation into this attack, and the threats received by PIJAR, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. abide by the provisions of the Declaration on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders adopted on the 9th of December 1998, by the U.N. General Assembly (“Declaration on the right and responsibility of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms”), particularly, Article 12(2) which states that « The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present declaration. ».
iv. more generally abide by the Universal declaration on Human Rights and Covenants and international Conventions ratified by Indonesia.
Addresses
Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid, President of Indonesia, Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Istana Negara, Indonesia. Fax: 62-21- 345 7782
Mr. Marzuki Durusman, National Human Rights Commission, Kartika Chandra Office Tower, R. 201-202, Jl Gatot Subroto, Jakarta, 1206 Indonesia, Fax: 62-21-392 5227
Geneva - Paris, 12th September 2000
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken, quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency Line: Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel. : FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT : + 41 22 809 49 39
E-mail observatoire@iprolink.ch