A ray of light in fight for human rights

Press, 23 February 1978, Page 17

A ray of light in fight for human rights

Being a member of Amnesty International is rather like constantly working in the dark. But the Christchurch group has * welcomed a ray of light — an Indonesian prisoner it “adopted” in 1973 has been released. To adopt a political prisoner, in Amnesty terms, means to spare no effort in working for his release. But no-one will ever know to what extent the freeing of Bahtiar Siagian, aged 54, a film director, was due to the dozens of letters and postcards sent from Christchurch.

The group not only wrote to him in prison, on Buru Island, but also to his prison camp commanders, the head of Kopkamtip (National Security Command), President Suharto, the Ministry of Information, and the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington.

Bahtair was among

10,000 political prisoners set free from camps (or “instalasis rehabilitasi”) throughout Indonesia last December. Political prisoners on Buru were the target of a world-wide campaign by Amnesty in 1976. Siagian, married,with a

family, worked for the State Film Enterprise and is a Christian. Ele made several films in the 1960 s but their titles are not known as little has been written about the Indonesian film industry in Western journals. Later, he went to the Netherlands where he w’orked for a cultural foundation promoting relations between the Netherlands and Indonesia.

On his return to Indonesia he joined a leftwing movement promoting cultural activities for the people. He was elected to the executive of Lekra

(the League for People’s Culture) and remained one of its leaders until it was banned.

After the 1965 coup, Siagian was arrested, along with members and leaders of similar leftwing organisations. There was no trial, no charge, no sentence. He was held under a decree giving authority for anyone considered a “security risk” to be held indefinitely.

The P.K.I. (Communist Party) was held to be instigator of the abortive coup and was outlawed. In the mass arrests that followed, little discrimination was used. Regardless of age, sex, or whether leading P.K.I. organisers, ordinary members, or justcitizens of no particular political affiliation, thousands of Indonesians were

Bv

KEN COATES

packed off to remote camps.

According to an independent nev . report, Bahtia Siagian has not yet decided whether he should try to get back into the film industry. “I’ve a lot to catch up on, especially in technical matters,” he'says. “If I do go back into films, I would like to concentrate on two things — human life and freedom. Three years and a half in Buru made me learn a lot about these things.” The report said that the 10,000 prisoners released see scant evidence that life on the outside has changed much — in terms of genera] dissatisfaction at least. Still, all are anxious to resume normal living as best they can. In many

cases, this will be no easy task; a large porportion of the ex-detainees are loosely categorised as intellectuals. And getting them back to the mainstream of life will require an abundance of sympathy and trust on all sides.

While the security command has called on private companies to help the returnees, certain government institutions and companies are barred from offering them employment, as well as the armed forces.

Amnesty estimated m June last year that there were still between 50,000 and 80,000 political prisoners in Indonesia.

Recent reports say that President Suharto has given an undertaking that another 10,000 “categoiy B” detainees will be released this year, and the remaining “10,000-odd” will be freed in 1979.

"Category B” detainees are those accused of hav-

ing been active members of the P.K.I. or its associated organisations, but

against whom there was insufficient evidence to permit formal trials.