Indonesia Starts Reparations For Victims Of 12 State Purges

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has launched an unprecedented reparation program for victims of past human rights abuses by the state, a project critics fear will compensate only a small fraction of those who suffered, Ananda Teresia reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: In January, Jokowi, as the president is known, expressed deep regret over 12 deadly events from 1965-2003, starting with a purge by the military of suspected communists and their sympathizers, in which at least 500,000 people were killed and more than a million jailed.

In January, Jokowi, as the president is known, expressed deep regret over 12 deadly events from 1965-2003, starting with a purge by the military of suspected communists and their sympathizers, in which at least 500,000 people were killed and more than a million jailed, historians and activists said.

It also included human rights violations by security forces during separatist conflicts in the Aceh and Papua regions and the killing and abduction of students in 1998 during protests against the three-decade rule of autocratic former President Suharto.

About 1,200 people were killed in subsequent riots, activists say.

The government has not disclosed the number of people who will be eligible for reparations or any targets and it is unclear how victims can apply for compensation.

"Today we can start restoring the victims' rights," said Jokowi, who came to office in 2014 promising to take up the issue. "This signals the government's commitment to prevent similar abuses in the future."

The compensation will range from educational and health incentives to house renovations and visas for victims in exile. Sri Winarso, a coordinator of a group of survivors of the 1965 crackdown, said only victims counted by government bodies had been included.

"They have to expand the coverage," he added. Research by Indonesia's human rights commission estimated there are between 500,000 and 3 million victims and survivors of the 1965 bloodshed.

Commissioner Anis Hidayah said so far only 6,400 victims of the 12 bloody events had been verified, adding it was difficult to track those involved in incidents so long ago.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic