The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 12/15/2011 9:03 PMA President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered the Coordinating Legal, Political and Security Affairs Minister, Djoko Suyanto, and National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo to form a special team to investigate the mass killing in Mesuji, East Lampung, a presidential special staffer said.
"The aim is to uncover the facts and seek the truth related to the Mesuji case," Julian Aldrin Pasha said Thursday, as quoted by tempo.co. He added that the team would comprise representatives from various sectors of society, such as law enforcers, the National Commission on Human Rights, companies and members of the public. According to Julian, should the facts match the recent reports broadcast in various media outlets, then swift action will be taken. "If the facts corroborate what we've been seeing and hearing, then the individuals responsible - from whichever party: be it the police, security apparatus or public - must be punished," he said. Lampung residents presented their allegations about the brutal killings in Mesuji, Lampung to members of the House of Representatives' Commission III overseeing human rights on Wednesday. Thirty people were killed after violence erupted when a Malaysian-based company, PT PT Silva Inhutani, took the residents' land in 2003 to plant rubber and oil palm plantations. (pdh)
