Australia Probed Torture Allegedly Done by Densus 88

Sydney, Australia (News Today) - Australia sent officials to investigate alleged torture by members of an Indonesian counter-terrorism unit which receives funding from Canberra, an official said Monday. A foreign affairs spokesman said Australia is “aware of and concerned by” claims against Indonesia’s Detachment 88, which is accused of beating a group of detained separatists and attacking them with lit cigarettes and nails.

“The Australian government is aware of, and concerned by, the allegations of brutality towards political prisoners raised by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International,” the official said in a statement.

“Australian embassy officials from Jakarta have made inquiries with the Indonesian National Police, including during a recent visit to Ambon, where these allegations were discussed with both government and civil society representatives.”

The Sydney Morning Herald said Detachment 88 receives millions of US dollars in funding each year in funding from Australia to combat extremism in Indonesia, a northern neighbour. It said about 12 separatists were detained last month in Maluku province and were blindfolded and hit around the face and body, including with wooden sticks and bars, while holding painful positions.

The report said recorded statements from seven of the separatists, and an interview with another who was recovering in hospital, claimed police jumped on the detainees and put plastic bags over their heads so they could not breathe. One of the separatists said he was forced to eat raw chillies and two others said they were told to hug and kiss, and were beaten when they refused.

“We were all tortured beyond the limit and, during the torture, if we mentioned the name of the Lord Jesus we would be punched and slapped,” one was quoted as saying.

The separatists were reportedly arrested over plans to hold a demonstration during a visit by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Maluku, an eastern region with a history of pro-independence sentiment.

Source : kompas

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