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Talangsari victims deny terrorist link
Victims of the 1989 Talangsari incident in Lampung denied Tuesday any link with terror activities in Aceh as claimed by the police
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Victims of the 1989 Talangsari incident in Lampung denied Tuesday any link with terror activities in Aceh as claimed by the police.
The victims also denied having any family members with the initials M.T.
”We swear to God that we are farmers. We have never been involved in political activities, much less terrorism,” said victim Amir, 64.
Since Monday, the Lampung Police have conducted a special operation at the Bakauheni Port in South Lampung, following reports that M.T., one of the terror suspects shot dead in Aceh, had relations with the Talangsari militant group.
Director of the police’s detective and crime unit, Sr. Comr. Darmawan Sutawijaya, said a 30-strong team comprising members of the antiterror squad Densus 88 and mobile brigade (Brimob) had been tasked with monitoring possible terrorist movements.
“They work around the clock to minimize the movement of terrorists raided in Aceh and to stop them from getting to Java through Bakauheni.”
His office, Darmawan said, had been monitoring activities of the activists’ relatives in Talangsari, Way Jepara and East Lampung.
Director of the intelligence and security unit Sr. Comr. Suroso Hadi Siswoyo said it was not yet certain that M.T. in the Lampung police’s record was the same person as the suspected leader of the armed group raided by the police in Aceh.
“If they are the same person then we will continue to monitor the family. If the family are found to have helped to hide relatives involved in terror acts then they could be a subject to legal action.”
The Talangsari tragedy occurred Feb. 6-7, 1989 in which the military attacked an alleged rebel group led by Warsidi who reportedly wanted to establish the Indonesian Islamic Nation (NII).
The incident was believed to claim more lives than the official list of fatalities, which put the figure
at 37.
After over 20 years, hundreds of Talangsari residents are still reportedly traumatized by the tragedy.
The village still has a poor access road and no electricity network.
Amir, who was formerly an elementary school teacher, was forced to abandon his job as he was alleged to be involved in the rebel group.
“My family has no life. I was detained and sent to prison without any legal process,” said Amir, who as a civil servant remained unpromoted until he retired in 2005.
He will not be able to receive his pension as he could not show a letter proving his prison release.
“I will never be able to get such a letter as there is no such letter for my release from prison.”
Separately, coordinator of the Committee for Missing Persons and Violence’s impunity division, Chrisbiantoro, said the committee had checked M.T.’s identity for clarification.
Chrisbiantoro said no link between the Talangsari victims and M.T. had been found.
