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Activists skeptical of resolution on 26th anniversary of Marsinah’s death
Activists and observers have criticized Jokowi's administration for a perceived lack of progress on human rights as well as workers’ welfare.
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Activists of the Solidarity Network of Victims for Justice attend the 574th 'kamisan', a weekly silent protest, in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta recently. (The Jakarta Post/Dhoni Setiawan)
A
s human rights and labor activists gathered for the 585th kamisan protest on Thursday, they commemorated the 26th anniversary of the death of laborer and activist Marsinah.
Kamisan is a silent protest held every Thursday by Victims Solidarity Network for Justice (JSKK), calling on the government to take action to resolve cases of past human rights violations.
Marsinah, a worker at a watch factory in Nganjuk, East Java, organized a strike to demand decent wages and benefits in early May 1993. On May 5, the local military command forced 13 factory workers, including Marsinah, to resign. Marsinah disappeared later that day after expressing her intention to file a lawsuit against the military. Her bruised and lifeless body was found three days later, on May 8.
“For us, Marsinah is an inspirational figure,” Dian Septi of the Factory Workers Federation (FBLP) told other protesters just across from the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta. “Until now, Marsinah’s murderer is still running free, so it’s important for us to continue to remember her until the government thoroughly investigates the case.”
The JSKK presidium – represented by Suciwati, the widow of murdered human rights activist Munir Said Thalib; Maria Catarina Sumarsih, the mother of an Atma Jaya University student who was shot and killed in the 1998 Semanggi Tragedy; and Bedjo Untung, a survivor and activist of the 1965 communist purge – sent an open letter to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, urging him to take real action to resolve the Marsinah case, as well as other human rights violations.
“Marsinah is a symbol of the struggle of the people to seize freedom and fight against tyranny,” the letter reads. “Marsinah is also us, who continue to stand upright to demand the complete resolution of human rights violations.”
During his first run for the presidency in 2014, Jokowi pledged to resolve past human rights abuses if he were elected.
