TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - People’s Movement for Democracy (Gema Demokrasi) commemorates the “Black September” (September Hitam). The group consists of 77 organizations, among others, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Papuan Student Alliance, Gusdurian, Imparsial, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Journalist Association for Pluralism, Perempuan Mahardhika, Belok Kiri Festival, and several legal aid institute from various regions in Indonesia.

Feri Kusuma of Kontras explained that the Black September was named based on human rights abuses that took place in the month of September, including the murder of Munir Said Thalib.

“Munir was a very vocal, bold, honest activist who cracked down on a lot of injustice,” he said at the opening of the Black September commemoration event at Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, Sunday, September 4, 2016. However, he continued, Munir was silenced and killed from poisoning on September 7, 2004, and authorities had only convicted one perpetrator who was later released [from prison].

Aryo Wisanggeni of AJI said in September, victims and victims' families of rights abuses commemorate past events, such as Tanjung Priok incident in 1984, Semanggi II incident in 1999 and other rights abuses across Indonesia, from Aceh to Papua.

Gema Demokrasi, not only reminds the public about atrocities in the new order (Orba) era and events occurred years ago. They also exposes the repression of freedom of expression of victims and those wanting to open a discussion forum in relation to the 1965 events throughout 2014-2016.

“Not to mention violence in the form of other repression of democratic expression, such as the banning of a street library in Bandung,” Aryo.

Feri Kusuma also pointed out that the criminalization against Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar is a form of repression by current regime. Haris revealed the testimony of drug convict Freddy Budiman in end of July. “Such pattern occurred in the new order era, whereas the victims were arrested, kidnapped, disappeared,” he said.

Aryo said the commemoration of the Black September is essentially carried out to preserve the public memory about past events. “We hope [such events] will not happen again,” he said.

REZKY ALVIONITASARI