About Vision | Mission | Activities | Services | Board | Recognition | Investigations

Kontras (The Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence) was formed in March 1998 by the coalition of 12 pro-democracy NGO's (Non Government Organization ) such as KIPP (Independent Committee for Election Watch), AJI (the Alliance Independent Journalist), YLBHI (Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation), and one student organization PMII (Indonesian Islamic Student Movement) and activist in response to the Indonesian government's silence regarding disappearances.

VISION:

¨ Democracy should be based upon the power of the people and the principles of freedom from fear, oppression, violence and any other human rights violations.

¨ The conditions for developing a democratic system require an environment that allows for the free evolution of the characteristics of this system. Of principle importance are the presence of civil society and restraints on military violence. Political violence cannot be separated from the military's mode of development, including its impact on Indonesia's political culture. Therefore, the military's presence has not only affected the political arena, but also in Indonesia's cultural environment, where harsh symbols have been incorporated into daily community existence.

MISSION:

1. To improve the Indonesian people's awareness of the importance of human rights, especially regarding freedom from violence and the plight of disappeared people.

2. To struggle for human rights, especially people's rights to be free from all types of violence and the rights of the disappeared. This will be accomplished by means of advocacy and an ongoing encouragement for accountability.

3. To support consistent change in law and politics that will bring about increased protection of the people from disappearances and violence.

ACTIVITIES:

Based on the above vision and mission of the organization KONTRAS has developed some short-term goals that serve as the basis of its' first year of activities:

1. Fighting Against Political Violence.

Activities aim to raise awareness about politically motivated human rights violations and encourage the Indonesian people to discard attitudes of shortsighted self-interest.

2. Encouraging Respect for Due Process of the Law.

Activities aim to ensure that those who violate the human rights be held responsible by means of legal mechanisms and fair procedure. As such, KONTRAS plans to undertake a broad campaign covering political and social responsibility.

3. Ensuring Victim's Physical and Psychological Recovery.

In order to undertake successful advocacy campaigns it is essential to address the rehabilitation of both the victims of political violence and their families. This is the case because the KONTRAS mission centers on the participation of victims and their families. Moreover, it is important to acknowledge that rehabilitation is not just limited to physical healing, but also to greater social justice and the victim's emotional reconnection with Indonesian society.

4. Promoting Dialogue: Addressing the Indonesian Community's Opinions and Attitudes.

A. Political Violence

Improving the discourse about political violence and also the importance of the non- violence movement is an important goal in promoting dialogue that will encourage critical thought. The mission of this process is to people's sensitivity to the existence of violence in our society, especially incidents perpetrated by government security officials. These include the practices of disappearance, rape and torture, arbitrary arrest and inhumane detention, which sometimes ends in death. KONTRAS' long term goal is to spearhead a fundamental change in attitudes about the role of political violence in Indonesian society.

B. Human Rights Violations

In a broad sense, monitoring of human rights violations and various efforts to investigate these occurrences are important tools to raise the people's consciousness about the importance of a human rights issues. Such violations should always be kept in mind as to highlight their crucial importance to the health of the Indonesian community. Despite the overwhelming scale of this goal, KONTRAS has identified specific targets in order to measure its incremental progress towards achieving a more just and transparent society.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWING

1. Legal services and assistance for victims and their parents, followed by monitoring and investigation.

Legal service includes:

A. Service of an attorney for victims and their parents, namely as reporter, investigator and legal protection for victims and their parents.

B. Advocacy to achieve legal responsibility, transparent and effective political and social negotiations as well as ensuring adherence to the proper procedures in identified and holding accountable those guilty of illegal violent actions.

C. Treatment of victims includes physical and psychological rehabilitation for the victims. This process requires the development of a network of volunteers. KONTRAS' function in this arena is to coordinate the personnel of center crisis institutions and volunteers in order to achieve this goal.

D. Investigation of human rights violations cases in certain places, specifically missing persons in forced detention. Regarding this activity, KONTRAS will undertake coordination with every relevant civil society organization, in addition to those institutions established with the assistance of KONTRAS.

2. Documentation, Monitoring and Strategy Study.

Documentation includes the investigation and collection of data and reporting on human rights violations. Such information is then entered into a database of certain human rights violations, namely torture, rape, killing, kidnapping, and arbitrary arrests. The database includes perpetrators identities and descriptions of potential violation scenarios based on past experiences. In addition to serving as a monitoring device, this process of creating a database of violent activities is part of a larger strategic study into political violence.

3. Public Opinion and International Network.

KONTRAS' public opinion activities include seminars, discussions and the distribution of publications, all of which aim to help to generate discussion and foment the development of public opinion on issues of political violence. In order to bring about systematic and planned international pressure and focus attention on the above problems, KONTRAS has become active in international movements such as the United Nations Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance (WGEID), the Working Group on Convention Surveillance, which is part of the regional organization Asian Federation Against Disappearances (AFAD), the Philippine organization Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearances (FIND), and the Latin American Federation of Associations of Relatives of Disappeared Detainees (FEDERAM).

KONTRAS Board of Committee

Chairperson
M u n i r
Deputy Chairperson
Irianto Subiakto
Members
Bambang Sugiyanto, Standarkiaa, Happy Hendrawan, Daniel Hutagalung, Ori Rahman, Sirra Prayuna, Erizal I. Chaniago, Jose Cornelio Guterres, Agus Yohannes, Robertus Robet, Victor da Costa, Mega Christina, Muchtar Sindang, Ezki Suyanto, Tantri

Official Recognition of KONTRAS' Efforts:

1. August 4, 1998 "Suardi Tasrif Award" (Award for the protection of freedom of opinion and civil rights) from AJI (The Alliance of Independent Journalist).

2. September 1, 1998 formally became a member of AFAD (Asian Federation Against Disappearances).

3. September 16, 1998 "Serdadu Award" from Serikat Pengamen Jalanan (Union of Street Singer), Jakarta.

4. December 10, 1998 "Yap Thiam Hien Award" from the Yapusham (Human Rights Study Center Foundation).