Violence victims hold weekly vigils in Jakarta

 By Konradus Epa, Jakarta

JAKARTA (ucan) -- Victims of human rights abuses staged a silent protest in front of Indonesia’s presidential palace on Oct. 7, urging President Bambang Yudhoyono to deal with unresolved cases of violence.

Dressed in black and holding umbrellas, about 20 members of the Solidarity Network of Victims for Justice (JSKK) stood in silence, holding banners and photos of kidnapped and missing persons, including victims of the 1998 riots.

The Oct. 8 protest was the 179th protest since the network was established in 2007.

“We hold peaceful protests in the afternoon because that’s the time the president returns home and he can see us,” said Maria Catharina Sumarsih.

She said the group wanted cases investigated by National Commission of Human Rights to be brought before a specially constituted court.

“We have lobbied various government instances but they do not heed us. We are tired but we are still motivated to stage protests,” she added. “We would stop when the president heeds our recommendations,” the Catholic laywoman said.

Sumarsih’s son was shot on the campus of Catholic University of Atma Jaya in Jakarta while he assisted other victims of the 1998 riots.

Meanwhile, Suciwati, the wife of Munir, the Kontras founder who was poisoned while taking a flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam in 2004, said she was disappointed at the government’s failure to implement recommendations on human rights violations.

“The president should be ashamed,” she added.

Crosier Father Serafin Danny Sanusi, executive secretary of Indonesian bishops’ Justice and Peace Commission, said he supported the protesters’ choice of non-violence.

“This shows their compassion and concern for unsolved human rights abuses,” said Father Sanusi, who has twice joined the protests.