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Indonesia starts reparations program for victims of past atrocities
Jokowi in January expressed deep regret over 12 deadly events from 1965-2003 which include a purge by the military of suspected communists and their sympathisers, during which at least 500,000 people were killed and more than a million jailed, according to historians and activists.
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President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo (center) talks with families whose kin had suffered from human rights violations committed in past decades, in Gampong Bili Aron village in Pidie, Aceh province on June 27, 2023, during a reconciliation event. (AFP/Adi Gondrong)
P
resident Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Tuesday launched an unprecedented reparation program for victims of past human rights abuses by the state, a project critics fear will compensate only a small fraction of those who suffered.
Jokowi in January expressed deep regret over 12 deadly events from 1965-2003 which include a purge by the military of suspected communists and their sympathisers, during which at least 500,000 people were killed and more than a million jailed, according to historians and activists.
It also included human rights violations by security forces during separatist conflicts in the Aceh and Papua regions, and the killing and abduction of students in 1998 after protests against the three-decade rule of autocratic former President Suharto. About 1,200 people were killed in subsequent riots, activists say.
The government has not disclosed the number of people who will be eligible for reparations, or any targets and it is unclear how victims can apply for compensation.
"Today we can start restoring the victims' rights," said Jokowi, who came to office in 2014 promising to take up the issue.
"This signals the government's commitment to prevent similar abuses in the future."
The compensation will range from educational and health incentives to house renovations, and visas for victims in exile.
