Indonesia found ‘guilty of genocide in 1965’

Karma Gurung

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Indonesia found ‘guilty of genocide in 1965’
The decision of the judges does not bear any practical effect on those accused as it is not a criminal court but it is a bi for survivors and families of victims who have not been compensated.

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Guilty of crimes against humanity.

This was the verdict of the Hague-based International People’s Tribunal (IPT), which concluded that Indonesia is responsible for human rights violations and the killing of at least 500,000 people that happened between 1965-1966.

The report laid out detailed notes on General Suharto’s involvement in the atrocities committed, when he took immediate control of the government after taking President Sukarno down.

It also stated that the mass killings purposefully conducted to kill supporters of President Sukarno, members of the National Party of Indonesia, and minorities, specifically people of Chinese decent or mixed ethnicities.

The tribunal also charged the state of Indonesia with 10 gross human rights violation including mass killing, destruction, imprisonment, slavery, torture, forced disappearance, sexual violence, banishment, false propaganda, international complicity and genocide.

The report concluded that the Indonesian genocide that took place 5 decades ago must be included in the list of 20th century genocides.

The killings started after then General Suharto put down a coup on October 1, 1965. (READ:‘Indonesia must do more to provide justice for the 1960s mass killing victims’)

Authorities blamed the attempted coup on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Security forces, supported by local groups, rampaged through the country massacring hundreds of thousands of people suspected of even weak links to the PKI, and jailing scores of others.

It was “the darkest year in Indonesia’s history,” chief prosecutor Todung Mulya Lubis said in November.

“1965 tells more than mass killings. 1965 also tells of enslavement, imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, persecution.”

US, UK, Australia complicit

The Foundation IPT for the 1965 crimes against humanity was established in 2014 with the aim of ending impunity for the crimes committed in and after October 1,1965.

The hearing of this case took place in The Hague last November with 7 judges and was led by the IPT 1965 Chief Justice Zak Yacoob.

“The State of Indonesia also failed to prevent the perpetration of these inhumane acts or to punish those responsible for their commission,” Yacoob said.

“To the extent that some crimes were committed independently of the authorities, by so-called ‘spontaneous’ local action, this did not absolve the State from the obligation to prevent their occurrence and to punish those responsible,” he added.

The judges also concluded that big nations like USA, the UK and Australia were complicit in the acts, having known about the killings and having provided the military with evidence of communists in the nation.

Apology

The report also proposed recommendations to the Indonesian government for further steps including apologizing to all of the victims and families in relation to the 1965 incidents and ensuring a thorough investigation.

It also pressed the government to compensate the victims and prosecute all crimes against humanity.

The decision of the judges does not bear any practical effect on those accused as it is not a criminal court but it is step for survivors and families of victims who have not been compensated.

The Indonesian government has continously refused to apologize for the killings, with Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitan responding to the result, saying Indonesia will settle the issue “in our way and through universal values.”

Back in November, Vice President Jusuf Kalla also said it would not apologize regardless of the IPT decision.

“The IPT, it is non-binding and a non-formal tribunal,” he told Rappler.

“Of course morally it’s important but (if) they ask Indonesia to apologize – the fact is this tragedy, the victims [included] our general… in the first day of this nightmare it was our general and many soldiers.”

He went on, “Why would Indonesia apologize for this tragedy? We were victims, Indonesian victims, government. Why will we apologize? For who? Who will apologize for this general?” – Rappler.com

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