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RAHARJA WALUYA JATI'S TESTIMONY

Between Fear and Uncertainty

In my worst nightmares, I could never have imagined I would have such a horrible experience that would so thoroughly test the very limits of my personal fortitude.

The Abduction and The Torture

Thursday, March 12, 1998

I attended the KNPD Press Conference at 12 o'clock at the Legal Aid Foundation's office, Diponegoro Street number 74, Jakarta. Around 2.00-2.30 p.m, Faesol Riza and I walked along the street to have lunch in a restaurant near Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. But instead of having lunch, we ran off to the hospital's emergency room, unfortunately, got stuck in the second floor. We were both quite certain that some mysterious people were following us. I tried to escape but then I saw at the far-end of the stairs, Faesol Riza beaten by two sturdy men. I slipped into the restroom but they rudely knocked on the door and threatened to shoot me. I appeared and was repeatedly hit in my stomach -when they dragged me downstairs they kept hitting me - then they hit my liver and knocked off my glasses.

They dragged me into a red jeep with a white top, made me duck, blinfolded me and cuffed my hands. They told me that they had watched me for a long time since they were desperately seeking Andi Arief and hope I would help them find him. After a 30 minute drive, we reached an unknown site and I was brought to a building which was a few meters away from the car.

The Interogation and The Torture

Still being blinfolded, I was led to a room to be interrogated. They beat and questioned me; the treatment got worse each time I said "I don't know". The echo of their yell was heard which then made me conclude that the room was quite large. I was finally brought to the so-called "Execution Room". They had me stand up on a chair and my neck was choked with length of twine. The question was still the same: "Where is Andi Arief?" My answer was also the same since I really had no idea where he was. They pulled up the cord harder and harder each time I failed to give them favourable responses. I couldn't breathe for a couple of seconds and I could not even swallow for several days. This treatment ended when one of them said that it was not good to let me die early. Then his colleagues stopped strangling me.

Next, I was put into another room. They had me sit on a folding chair with my hands handcuffed to the back. Every question was followed by torture. They hit me either with empty-hands or a folding chair. They even stomped on my mouth and feet when I fell down. They kicked my shinbone, my shoulder, and my back. My back and my hands were burned with a cigarete. I was I great pain but what really traumatized me was the electric stick. They used it repeatedly to shock my body: my chest, stomach, neck, hands, fingers, legs, and thighs. I was tortured in a sitting position and was allowed to eat and to go to the restroom only one or two hours per day. It became so unbeareable that I could no longer feel any pain. My mental condition was at the lowest point; I was so depressed. They removed my blinfold three times to take my picture. They also asked me to identify the pictures of my friends as well as write bio-data. This could not be completed since it was too tiring and I felt very confused. The officers always wore masks and covered their heads like Ninja, so I still could not see their faces, although my blinfolded was removed.

One of the interrogators once asked me about a certain place in Salon, a small street in the Cilincing Area. I did go there with Herman dan Riza but could hardly remember when and where it was. The interrogator the informed us that he was the one who confirmed whether we would extend our lease because Suyat seldom came to the house. He mentioned a detailed account on when we came and left the house. He also admitted that he was the one who kidnapped Suyat in Solo some time ago and informed us that the house was rented by Munif Laredo (because he did not want to help financially).

All the information raised my level of concern. One day before the abduction, I had contemplate the relationship between Munif's one week intensive visit to the Legal Aid Foundation's office and the captors following us. It is still clear in my mind that on March 11, 1998, Munif acted as if he was enthusiastically waiting for me. I went out of the Legal Aid Foundation's office and he followed. I was followed by two people when I was in the Megaria bus stop on Diponegoro Street, but I successfully escaped and returned to the Legal Aid Foundation's office. I related my analysis of the above situation as well as the activities in Munif's rented house to the officer in charge of my confirment.

The Fourth Day to the Sixth Day

I was moved to a room equipped with a spring bed and a fan. I was permitted to lie down with one of my hands cuffed to the chair and my eyes were blindfolded with a black fabric. The interrogation frequency decreased; they began to treat me better and they sometimes suggested that I am not be involved in political activities anymore.

On the fifth day, I was put in another room upstairs which was very cold and large. I was interrogated by one officer and from the questions he asked I concluded that he was probably one of the abductions commanders. I could sometimes barely hear Herman Hendrawan's voice and another activist's, possibly Nezar Patria.

Next, they brought me to a room where my clothes were taken off. Being fully naked, I was forced to lie mith my face downward on some iceblocks for about 10-15 minutes. They kept interrogating me about Andi Arief's whereabouts. I was so frustrated and I realized how professional they were in bringing pressure both mental and physical.

I therefore became numb but still they hit me repeatedly to "smooth my blood circulation". Then they took me to another room and on the way downstairs I heard a bud buzzing sound. Later on I figured that it was the sound of a radio which had not yet been turned off although it had ended its broadcast.

The Seventh Day to Wednesday, April 1, 1998

Living underground did make a difference: there was the sound of the radio - which gave us clues about day, date, and month - as well as of other detainees. We could not see eacher other but we could talk, especially from 2 to 5 a.m when the radio was turned off.

In this period of time, I was brought upstairs five times and was asked - again - about Andi Arief. One of the interrogation sessions was attended by quite a lot of people (I was blindfolded but I could sense their presence). As usual, they followed the interrogation with kicks, threats to kill, and revilement. Once I was ordered to be immersed in water for a few minutes.

After being tourtured mentally and physically, we were asked how much Sofyan Wanandi helped us financially. They also wanted to know who backed up and warned us that they would not be reluctant to kill our supporter, even if he was L.B. Moerdani (former Ministry of Defense). I knew none of them and explained to the interrogator that we were financially independent; we spent our own money to finance our activities.

Some other detainees confined underground were haryanto Taslam, Pius Lustrilanang, Desmond and Faesol Riza, whose voice I recognized most. I started to get to know them and build friendships.

Promise to Set Us Free

On Wednesday, April 1, 1998, all of us but Haryanto Taslam were processed to be set free. The officer had often told Riza and me that there was no way to release us unless Andi Arief was arrested.

On the morning of 2 April, Pius was released and the day after, Desmond was set free.

During our detainement, we were routinely visited by the doctor once a week, especially Haryanto Taslam whose blood pressure was highly increased.

On April 6, another detainee came. I later found that he was Andi Arief who had been abducted in Lampung and suffered the same or worse torture as me.

Haryanto Taslam was released on April 16. From 9 p.m to 12 p.m, Andi Arief was moved upstairs to be tortured. Not so long afterwards, I heard him praying in his cubicle for about one hour. He then apologized to me, saying that he possibly could not bear the pressure and would give the interrogators the answers they wanted.

On April 23, Riza and I were summoned to be given a scenario about our disappearence. They ordered us to recount our disappereace as a misabduction organized by the mafia in a Menteng Discotheque where a fight was to have taken place. We were not permitted to give a press conference about our abductions. They threated to kill our families if we did. Once again, my pictures were taken.

I was then summoned for the third time on April 29 to memorize the scenario and to write a statement. The statement said that I did not write it under duress and would never testify about my experiences in confinement and would want to go to Jepara, my home town. I said I wanted to go by train to Semarang and continue my trip to Jepara by bus.

At night, I was brought upstairs to meet their commander who spoke with a bariton voice. He had sworn in the name of God that he would hunt me, wherever and whenever I go, to kill me if I broke my promise. He then shook my hand and prayed for me so that I would be a good citizen and make a contribution to this country.

I thanked him for his free instuctional course in "good citizenship" and promised to do the same for him if I ever got the chance.