Viva News - May 7, 2012

Tahun Depan, Kasus Marsinah Kedaluwarsa - VIVAnews. Senin, 7 Mei 2012

Ita Lismawati F. Malau, Oscar Ferri — After 19 years and 14 years of reformasi (the reform process beginning in 1998), Marsinah’s killer has still not been found. The government is being called on not to neglect the case until the 20-year statute of limitations for murder cases expires.

According to Free Women National Committee (KNPM) spokesperson Vivi Widyawati, after 19 years the impression is that the government is going to leave the Marsinah case unsolved.

“Next year the Marsinah case will be exactly 20 years old. After 20 years the statute of limitations will expire if it is not resolved”, said Vivi during a press conference at the offices of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) in Jakarta on Monday May 7.

Vivi believes that the government is not serious about catching Marsinah’s killer. In her view the government has no interest in resolving cases of human rights violations and women’s rights.

Marsinah, said Vivi, represents and illustration of a women worker who became a victim of collaboration between employers and the military. According to Vivi, this kind of collaboration is not unusual. Because under the concept of the state that sides with capital, the military are always needed and used to protect the capitalist’s means of production.

Vivi explained that the New Order government of former President Suharto did indeed attempt to resolve the case by trying the alleged perpetrators. “However, this was only a drama. Just lies, manipulation, because justice during the new Order always attempted to cover up the military’s involvement”, she said.

A similar view was expressed by Marsinah FM Radio public relations officer Dian Septi Trisnanti. Dian also accused the government of not being serious about resolving gross human rights violations. “There is an impression that the government wants to let the Marsinah case expire”, she said.

Even though the Marsinah case remains a mystery, these activists continue to demand that case be reopened. Because of this, continued Dian, they are demanding that the government fully investigate the case and arrest all those who have attempted to interfere with or conceal material evidence related to the Marsinah case.

On May 8, 1993, Marsinah’s body was found sprawled in an open hut on the edge of a rice field near a teak forest in Jegong hamlet, Wilangan village, Nganjuk regency, East Java. Her body was found after she went missing on May 5 after leading a strike at the PT Catur Putra Surya watch factory. There were numerous injuries on her body and it is suspected that she suffered severe physical violence and sexual abuse before she died.

Prior to her death, Marsinah had made a protest with the Sidoarjo district military command (Kodim) over the arrest of 13 of her colleges who were physically and psychologically pressured into signing letters of resignation. On the same year that she was killed, Marsinah received the Yap Thiam Hien human rights award. (umi)

Activists call on government to solve Marsinah murder case

Liputan 6 - May 7, 2012

Pemerintah Diminta Usut Kasus Marsinah - Liputan6.com. 07/05/2012 19:30

Rochmanuddin, Jakarta — The Marsinah FM Radio Community together with the Free Women National Committee (KNPM), the Cross-Factory Labour Forum (FBLP), the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (Kasbi), the Solidarity Alliance for Labour Struggle-United Indonesian Labour Movement (GSPB-PPBI) and the Student Struggle Center for National Liberation (Pembebasan) is urging the government to immediately resolve the Marsinah murder case.

“We demand that the government immediately and fully resolve the Marsinah case and arrest all those who have interfered with or concealed material evidence in the Marsinah case”, said KNPM public relations officer Vivi Widyawati at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) offices in Central Jakarta on Monday May 7.

They are also urging the government to immediately try all human rights criminals and the perpetrators of sexual violence during the New Order regime of former President Suharto. In addition to this, they are demanding that the government disband the Indonesian military’s (TNI) territorial commands, which they said are used as an institution of terror against the people.

“All of the efforts that were carried out failed because none of the governments in the reformasi (the reform process beginning in 1998) era have had the will to seriously resolve the Marsinah case. Marsinah represents an illustration of women workers who have become the victims of collaboration between employees and the military”, said Vivi.

After 14 years of reformasi and 19 years since her murder, the Marsinah case is still being neglected. Marsinah’s grave has been exhumed three times and a fact finding team formed, but the case has never been resolved. Moreover in 2002 the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) attempted to reopen the Marsinah case but failed to reveal the real killer.

On May 8, 1993, Marsinah’s body was found sprawled in a hut on the edge of a rice paddy near a teak forest in the Jegong hamlet, Wilangan village, Nganjuk regency. Her body was discovered four days after she disappeared on May 5.

Her death followed an altercation with the Sidoarjo district military command (Kodim) after the military arrested 13 of her colleagues. She had also been threatened physically and psychologically.

It is believed that in addition to suffering physical injuries she was also abused sexually before being killed. Her body was found with numerous injuries, abrasion on her wrists as a result of being bound and her pelvic bone and vagina damaged. (AIS)

[Translated by James Balowski.]