Former Activists Urge Jokowi, Kalla to Solve 1998 Abduction Case

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Raharja Waluyo Jati, an ex-political activist of the 1998 reform era who was kidnapped by the New Order regime, said he was told by his kidnappers to torch stores belonging to Chinese-descent Indonesians when in captivity.

“It’s better that you burn stores owned by Chinese-descent citizens rather than oppose Soeharto,” he said at Cemara Hotel on Friday, July 4, 2014, adding that he could not see the faces of his captorers because he was blindfolded.

Jati said the kidnappers were repeatedly asking him about the masterminds of the underground movement that time, which was spearheaded by Faisol Reza. The latter corroborated Jati’s story, adding that he was severely beaten by the kidnappers when he failed to answer their questions.

The investigation into the abduction of 21 political activists in 1998 remains elusive and incomplete to date. Nine of the captured activists have indeed been released, but 13 others remain missing, including Wiji Tukul, Herman Hendrawan, and Suyat.

Riza and a string of former 1998 activists on Friday read a plea for presidential hopeful Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his running-mate Jusuf Kalla, urging them to resolve the case and investigate the whereabouts of the 13 missing activists.

“We put our hope on your hearts [Jokowi and Kalla] because you both are the answer of our great expectation to the completion of this case,” Jati said.

On the occasion, the former activists also declared support for the Jokowi-Kalla ticket that they saw as successful in resolving a host of thorny issues in the nation. 

AMRI MAHBUB