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Comments on other issues: A people's tribunal
July 5, p6Activists and researchers, mostly in the Netherlands and Indonesia, are preparing an âInternational Peopleâs Tribunalâ on the 1960s violence
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strong>July 5, p6
Activists and researchers, mostly in the Netherlands and Indonesia, are preparing an 'International People's Tribunal' on the 1960s violence. Researchers have come up with more documentation beyond the large body of evidence collected by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in its report issued in mid-2012. (Ati Nurbaiti, The Jakarta Post)
Your comments:
Not only the 1960s surely? Is that when state-sanctioned violence ended in Indonesia? Why is it long that the perpetrators are either dead or too frail for punishment?
What I wouldn't give to see one in power right now (behind the scenes of course) to take a public fall. That would show Indonesia's commitment.
L. Millar
Even though the goal may be justice, it is a terrible idea to use the euphemistically labeled Tokyo Tribunal of 2000 as an example or worse, a template. The 2000 'trial' was clearly a show trial by any standard. No defense council, no mechanism to present evidence for the defense - nothing. It was clearly a political show.
If Indonesia wants this period to be remembered in a light that shows sham justice and theatrical grandstanding, then perhaps the Tokyo Tribunal of 2000 is the way to go. But if Indonesia is serious about a judicial investigation of the events that took place, it would best be served by anything other than the Comfort Women show trials.
Incidentally, the Comfort Women as Sex Slaves narrative is already starting to fall apart, making the show trials in 2000 even more farcical. The evidence continually being uncovered and exposed shows they were prostitutes from Korea/Japan.
The attempt to equate these prostitutes with rape victims of the military is a tragedy to real victims of wartime violence.
BK
