TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Around 80 to 100 persons wearing all black clothing held the ‘Kamisan’ rally yesterday January 19, 2017. They brought black umbrellas bearing the words indicating past human right abuses. “Resolve the Trisakti, Semanggi I-II tragedies,” the writings on the umbrellas read.

Activists and families of victims of past human rights abuses hold ‘Kamisan’ (Kamis literally means Thursday in the Indonesian language) every Thursday across the Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta. The ‘Kamisan’ rally turns 10 this week.

Sumarsih, the mother of Wawan, a student that was killed in Semanggi I incident, has been ever-present at the ‘Kamisan’ rallies regardless of weather and despite the lack of participants. Sumarsih prefers to hold silent protests demanding resolution of human rights abuses.

“It’s reasonable to say that ‘Kamisan’ is a monument or museum of the country’s injustice as long as [President] Jokowi fails to resolve human rights cases,” Sumarsih said.

The commemoration of 10 years of ‘Kamisan’ rally will feature speeches, musical performance, photo exhibition, etc.

Rally participants demand resolution of past human rights abuses: the May 1998 riot, Trisakti case, Semanggi I and Semanggi II incidents, forced disappearances, Talangsari incident in Lampung, Tanjung Priok incident and the 1965 Tragedy.

AMIRULLAH SUHADA