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Support growing for KontraS leader
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In support of KontraS: Scores of activists, lawyers and public figures display placards that read “We trust KontraS”, during a press conference at the Islamic organization Muhammadiyah’s office in Jakarta on Thursday. They demanded the government establish an independent team to end collusion between state security officials and the illegal drug trade, based on the information provided by the coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Haris Azhar, who received testimony from late drug convict Freddy Budiman claiming the involvement of state security officials in the illegal drug trade. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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upport is growing for a rights activist, Haris Azhar, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), who was reported to the police for defamation after he posted a statement on Facebook claiming personnel within the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) were involved in illicit drug trafficking.
A coalition of several groups calling itself the Advocacy Team against the Drug Mafia demanded those three institutions withdraw their report against Haris, who got his information from the subsequently executed drug convict Freddy Budiman.
The coalition slammed the defensive move by the three institutions, which decided to report Haris rather than investigate the alleged involvement of their personnel in drug trafficking.
“We regret that Haris’ efforts have been perceived as an attempt to discredit the aforementioned institutions. They should have taken them as assistance because we believe that criticism is another form of care,” said Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, the chairman of Muhammadiyah’s youth organization, on Thursday.
Aside from Muhammadiyah’s youth organization, the coalition also consists of the Indonesian Forum of the Environment (Walhi), the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), the Indonesian Labor Union (KSPI), the Setara Institute and some other civic organizations.
“If he [Haris] is to be prosecuted, we are all ready to share his condition because basically we are now voicing the same thing,” Dahnil said.
The coalition argued that what Haris had posted online was actually general truth and public knowledge. The information contained in his post should have been taken as a first step toward revealing the illicit practices and reforming the institutions in order for them to regain public trust, which is now believed to have hit a new low.
Moreover, the coalition also set up a dedicated post for the public to report any wrongdoing committed by personnel of the three institutions, particularly related to drug trafficking.
They also demanded the government establish an independent team to investigate, one authorized to evaluate and oversee the performance of law-enforcing institutions in handling drug cartels and also to process the information gathered from the emergency posts.
“President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo always says that the country is in a state of drug emergency. This is the moment to prove that he is serious in combating the problem,” he said.
Another rights activist, Usman Hamid, said that treating Haris like a criminal did not reflect the country’s commitment to curbing drug trafficking.
He added that being resistant to input from outside parties and not gathering facts and obtaining information could be perceived as an attempt to hide the flaws of the organizations.
LBH Jakarta lawyer Arief Maulana said that Haris should not be prosecuted because he did not mention any names in his alleged defamation and he also spoke for the greater public good.
“It now becomes the police’s job to launch an investigation. Demanding Haris provide proof is not acceptable because he is just a common citizen who holds little power or authority,” he said.
Meanwhile, jumping onto the TNI, police and BNN bandwagon, Pemuda Panca Marga — an organization linked to the military — reported Haris for the very same reason. This group even demanded the police arrest Haris.
National Police spokesperson Sr. Com. Martinus Sitompul told a press briefing on Thursday that the police would summon Haris.
“We are preparing for everything, from appointing investigators in charge of the case, to collecting evidence and identifying witnesses,” said Martinus.
Martinus added that the police would question Haris as soon as all preparations were made.
Meanwhile, BNN chief Comr. Budi Waseso said his office would investigate its members who were allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Budi was summoned to the State Palace on Thursday, but he said President Jokowi did not give him any specific directives on the issue. (fac)
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