Indonesia: Occurrence of an anti-government demonstration in Jakarta in August 2004; whether there were any demonstrators who, after being arrested, were detained in the Guntur Prison Camp, then transferred to the Kodam Jail (August 2004-June 2005)

Only one reference to an anti-government demonstration occurring in Jakarta in August 2004 could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

According to the ASAP Indonesia News Digest, the Women's Alliance Against RUU TNI (Ailansi Perempuan Tolak RUU TN) held an anti-government demonstration outside the Hotel Indonesia in Jakarta on 27 August 2004 (23-29 Aug. 2004). The group reportedly called for an end to the "military's territorial command structure" and asked the People's Representative Assembly (DPR) to stop debate on a proposed bill relating to the military (ASAP Indonesia News Digest 23-29 Aug. 2004). While the group was said to have "demonstrated enthusiastically," no mention was made of any arrests or intervention by security forces (ibid.). No corroboration of this information was found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Elsewhere in the country, demonstrations took place on 31 August 2004 in Surabaya, Semarang, Yogyakarta and Serang (Laksamana.net 1 Sept. 2004), which are all on the island of Java (Wikipedia 9 June 2005; Nationmaster.com 14 Feb. 2005; Brisbane's Sister Cities n.d.)

No references to either the "Guntur Prison Camp" or the "Kodam Jail" could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, one source mentions "detention cells" at the "Jakarta Military Police barracks" in Guntur, South Jakarta (Laksamana.net 10 Aug. 2004).

The territorial command structure of the Indonesian armed forces is made up of 11 "regional military command[s]" (Inside Indonesia July-Sept. 2002) or "territorial commands" (Rabasa et al. 2001, 57), also known as kodams [Komando Daerah Militer] (ibid.). The kodam in Jakarta is called the Kodam Jaya Jakarta, the Special Capital City Region of Jakarta (US Nov. 1992), or the Kodam Jaya, Jakarta (Rabasa et al. 2001, 57).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

ASAP Indonesia News Digest. 23-29 August 2004. No. 35. "More Opposition Against the Draft Law on the TNI." [Accessed 16 June 2005]

Brisbane's Sister Cities. N.d. "Semarang-Indonesia." [Accessed 24 June 2005]

Inside Indonesia [Melbourne]. July-September 2002. Edition 71. David Bourchier. "Combat Zone." [Accessed 6 June 2005]

Laksamana.net. 1 September 2004. "A Number of People Were Injured..." [Accessed 16 June 2005]
_____. 13 August 2004. "In a Verdict That Surprised No One..." [Accessed 23 June 2005]
_____. 10 August 2004. "Retired Major General Has Been Acquitted..." [Accessed 16 June 2005]

Nationmaster.com. 14 February 2005. "Encyclopedia: Surabaya, Indonesia." [Accessed 24 June 2005]

Rabasa, Angela and Peter Chalk. 2001. Indonesia's Transformation and the Stability of Southeast Asia. Santa Monica, Calif. RAND Corporation [Accessed 16 June 2005]

United States (US). November 1992. Library of Congress. Country Studies. "Indonesia: Organization and Equipment of the Armed Forces." [Accessed 15 June 2005]

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 9 June 2005. "Banten." [Accessed 24 June 2005]

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet sites, including: ANTARA News, Asia Week, Asian Center for Human Rights, Green Left Weekly, Indonesia Post, Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Onlinenewspapers.ca, TAPOL.