http://www.theage.com.au/world/political-prisoner-dies-as-truth-walks-slowly-20100914-15aui.html
Political prisoner dies as 'truth walks slowly' Tom Allard, Jakarta September 15, 2010 Yusuf Sipakoly IN HIS last interview, Malukan political prisoner Yusuf Sipakoly said: ''I believe the truth will surely arrive, although it walks slowly.'' Mr Sipakoly, who died on Monday, was one of many activists in the eastern Indonesian province to allege gross human rights abuses by Detachment 88, the Indonesian anti-terrorism unit partly funded by Australia. Mr Sipakoly was sentenced to 12 years in prison for possessing a small separatist flag in 2007. The Age spoke to him less than two weeks ago, while he was in an Ambon hospital, attached to a dialysis machine. ''[When I was detained by the Detachment 88 officers] I was tied with nylon and my head was covered with a bucket,'' he said. ''Then they started beating me until I urinated in my underwear. ''Another police officer, not Detachment 88, hit me with a wooden block while another officer hit me all over my body.'' Mr Sipakoly also alleged he was forced to drink hot water infused with carbon paper. The 52-year-old father's kidney and stomach ailments were a result of the mistreatment, he said. ''I didn't commit subversion, I never carried a gun and pointed it at anyone or anything, I never launched any violent attack against the state, but I only wanted to prove that I have rights to express my opinion.'' While no action was ever taken against those who allegedly beat him, Mr Sipakoly was among 70 people violently rounded up, interrogated and jailed in 2007. Another dozen men were arrested last month for planning a peaceful protest. They alleged similar abuses. Indonesian police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri yesterday confirmed police would investigate these new claims of torture, highlighted this week in an expose in The Age. However, Indonesia's co-ordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security, Djoko Suyanto, said he doubted the claims were true. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
