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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 12 January 2023

Indonesian president acknowledges past human rights abuses

By NINIEK KARMINI was later discovered to
Associated Press be the work of the Army’s
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Special Force Command,
— Indonesian President known as Kopassus, led at
Joko Widodo on Wednes- the time by Lt. Gen. Prabo-
day admitted serious hu- wo Subianto, who currently
man rights violations had serves as Widodo’s defense
occurred across the coun- minister.
try in recent decades and Subianto was dismissed
vowed to compensate from military service for
victims and prevent such his role. After years in exile
abuses from happening abroad, Subianto returned
again in the future. in 2004 to begin a political
In televised comments, career.
Widodo acknowledged Widodo also acknowl-
“with a clear mind and sin- edged a shooting cam-
cere heart” a total of 12 paign against criminals in
incidents categorized as Jakarta and other big cit-
gross human rights viola- ies between 1982-1985, the
tions that occurred from torture of suspected reb-
the northernmost province els in Aceh in 1988-1989, a
of Aceh to the easternmost deadly raid on an Islamic
province of Papua be- community in Lampung in
tween the 1960s and early In this photo released by the Press and Media Bureau of the Indonesian Presidential Palace, 1989, the killing of students
2000s. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, center, delivers a speech at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, and anti-government pro-
Widodo’s remarks came a Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. testers in 1998, anti-Chinese
day before Human Rights Associated Press attacks and alleged mass
Watch was to release its Widodo formed in August “We are trying to recover in 1965-1966, also known as rapes in Jakarta and oth-
annual world report on hu- last year to seek non-judi- the rights of victims in a fair the Indonesian communist er big cities in 1998, and
man rights conditions in cial resolutions to help re- and wise manner, without purge. The killings and civil deadly raids against civil-
more than 100 countries lieve the nation of its histori- negating a judicial settle- unrest primarily targeted ians in Wasior and Wame-
and territories. cal burdens. ment,” said Widodo, add- members of the Indonesian na in Papua province be-
“I deeply regret it,” Widodo The group aims to help sup- ing that he hopes the gov- Communist Party, known tween 2001-2003.
said, flanked by Coordi- port physical rehabilitation, ernment’s efforts “can heal by its Indonesian acronym Human rights groups said
nating Minister for Political, social assistance, health the wounds of the nation.” PKI. they hoped Widodo’s
Legal and Security Affairs care, scholarship and other Southeast Asia’s largest Widodo also acknowl- move would not pave the
Muhammad Mahfud and aid for victims of violence and most populous coun- edged the kidnapping way to close these cases

members of a group of or their families that mostly try has a long, checkered and disappearance of or give impunity to their
academics, former military occurred under the dicta- history on human rights anti-government activists perpetrators.q
generals and activists that tor Suharto’s regime. that includes mass killings between 1997-1998, which

Policeman burned to death amid antigovernment unrest in Peru

By DAVID PEREDA Z. Peruvian region of Puno as José Luis Soncco Quispe, Congress, saying the men The police officer’s death
Associated Press the death toll from demon- 29, was on patrol with a fel- were attacked by protest- came after the killing of 17
LIMA, Peru (AP) — A po- strations in the wake of the low officer in Juliaca, a city ers. people Monday in Juliaca
lice officer on patrol was ouster of former President near the border with Bo- “Police arrived at the scene as protests seeking imme-
attacked and burned to Pedro Castillo rose to 47, livia and Lake Titicaca, on and found that one offi- diate elections resumed
death by protesters in the authorities said Tuesday. Monday night when they cer had been beaten and in neglected rural areas
were attacked by a mob tied up, and the other, Luis of the country still loyal to
that later set fire to their ve- Soncco Quispe, unfortu- Castillo.
hicle, according to police nately had died,” he said. The unrest began following
reports. “He was burned alive in his Castillo’s removal and ar-
Soncco’s partner in the pa- patrol car.” rest following a widely con-
trol car, Ronald Villasante Otárola announced a demned attempt to dis-
Toque, said the men were three-day curfew from 8 solve Congress and head
“detained and physically p.m. to 4 a.m. in Puno, and off his own impeachment.
attacked by some 350 pro- a day of mourning for the Castillo’s successor, his for-
testers,” according to the fallen on Wednesday. mer running mate Dina
reports. Peru’s Ombudsman’s Of- Boluarte, has supported
Villasante was taken to a fice said that since the a plan to push up to 2024
hospital in Lima with mul- protests began in early elections for president and
tiple head injuries after be- December after Castillo’s congress originally sched-
ing beaten. He said he was dismissal, 39 civilians had uled for 2026. She’s also ex-
unaware of what was hap- been killed in clashes with pressed support for judicial

Residents surround coffins during a vigil for the more than a pening to his partner. police and another seven investigations into whether
dozen people who died during the unrest in Juliaca, Peru, Prime Minister Alberto had died in traffic acci- security forces acted with
Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Otárola confirmed Sonc- dents, as well as the fallen excessive force.q
Associated Press co’s death in a session of police officer.