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Alliance seeks stronger state protection for terrorism victims
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Tight security -- Counterterrorism personnel stand guard during a search in Cemani, Sukoharjo, Central Java, on Dec.13. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
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civil society organization is calling on the government to strengthen the rights of terror attack victims in the amendment of the 2003 Terrorism Law, which is being discussed at the House of Representatives.
The Alliance for a Peaceful Indonesia (AIDA) said many victims of terror attacks found it was still quite difficult for their lives to return to normal given the prolonged trauma they suffered. Their rights to compensation as stipulated by the 2003 Terrorism Law had never been fully implemented.
AIDA director Hasibullah Satrawi said on Thursday the current mechanism in the law that required a court verdict for the payment of compensation for terror attack victims had hampered the fulfillment of the victims’ rights. With a long and complicated procedure to get a court verdict, what they often received was just a small sum of financial aid instead of compensation as mandated.
Hasibullah said it was hoped that during the revision, the mechanism for the disbursement of the compensation could be changed. “We suggest that the compensation be determined through assessments conducted by a government agency, which receives its mandate in the new law.”
Hasibullah further said the draft revision should also explicitly cite the rights of terror attack victims to receive medical assistance as soon as a terror attack occurred.
Daisy, who survived the 2004 bomb attack outside the Australian Embassy, Jakarta, said the government should restore the livelihood of terrorism victims. “It’s quite difficult for them to return to their jobs because of their trauma.” (mrc/ebf)
