T

he coordinator of the Association of Relatives of Missing People reminded the government Monday it was time to follow up on the House of Representatives' call regarding the unresolved probe into the abduction of 13 kidnapped activists in 1997 and 1998.

Mugiyanto told a seminar Monday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had not shown political commitment to take the case to court.

"Government officials should take action to prevent the public from being burdened with past human rights violations," he said.

He added that he and other families of missing people expected the investigation to reveal what happened to their loved ones.

Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, Ifdhal Kasim, told the seminar that the Attorney General's Office had not initiated any further judicial process concerning the involuntary disappearance of the activists who were allegedly abducted for their criticism of the government.

He said although the House of Representatives had acknowledged the involuntary disappearances were categorized as human rights abuse, no necessary action had been taken by the AGO.

The House made a recommendation during a hearing on Sept. 28 that the government find out what happened to the 13 kidnapped activists, who remain missing.

"The AGO has not yet initiated an investigation into the case until now. This shows no serious political will from the government to solve the case," Ifdhal told a public seminar in Jakarta.

Many people were subjected to attack such as abduction and murder in the period of violent riots and social chaos that preceded the fall of President Soeharto in 1998. Their families continue to fight for justice.

At the end of December last year, the National Commission on Human Rights declared the incidents, including murder and gang rapes, gross human rights violations and demanded action.

It recommended that the AGO launch an investigation into the incidents.

The commission's recommendation prompted the House to form a special committee of inquiry into the case on Sept. 28. The committee, however, failed to summon military generals Wiranto and Prabowo Subianto, who were in charge of the military force at the time.

The House also recommended that the government establish a human rights court for the missing people, draft a bill on compensation and rehabilitation for the victims and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.

Separately, the junior attorney general for special crimes, Marwan Effendi, told The Jakarta Post on Monday he had no comment regarding the recommendation.

"I don't know about any recommendation, and who is supposed to receive it," he said. "It's not clear to me."

However, the director for the dissemination of human rights information at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, Jusuf Hadi, told the Post his ministry planned to work toward the House's recommendation.