asked in 2005

1. What did it take to make a person a political prisoner in Suharto’s Indonesia?

Being member of an organisation that was allegedly affiliated to the PKI (Indonesian Communist Party).
Prisoners were said to be “directly or indirectly involved in the G 305” – about which they knew nothing! With a few dozen exceptions, no one was ever charged with anything. (G305 = 1 Oct 1965, murder of 6 generals, which Suharto said was a coup attempt by the PKI)


2. What did the British Government do to help you while you were in detention?

Nothing at all, until my British nationality was restored to me. Thereafter the British embassy helped to arrange for my release from prison and my immediate departure from Indonesia. An embassy official took part in a brief ceremony at which I signed a letter expressing gratitude to the Indonesian government, confirming that I would leave the country and never return there. I would not have been released if I had refused to sign that letter. An embassy official then drove me to the airport.


3. Despite the end of the dictatorship, Indonesian human rights lawyer and RLA laureate Munir was assassinated last year. What is the state of democracy in Indonesia today?

The trappings of democracy are there (a well organised presidential election, etc), but the army still retains a powerful position and is in virtual control of conflict areas such as Aceh and West Papua, where military operations occur frequently. The army has retained its territorial structure with commands existing alongside regional and local administration everywhere.


4. Are you now able to visit Indonesia and meet the ex-tapols? (the word 'tapol' is a contraction of two Indonesian words meaning 'political prisoner')

Yes, my name was taken off the black list in 1999. I visited Indonesia this year (2005) and met many groups of ex-tapols. They are still suffering discrimination so we must now campaign hard for their complete rehabilitation.


5. Doesn’t your support for human rights activists in West Papua and Aceh promote the possibility of the fragmentation of Indonesia?

The West Papua people certainly want their independence, but at present they are demanding that West Papua became a Land of Peace. That means that the army should withdraw.
In Aceh the human rights situation is very bad, but the terrible effects of the tsunami have had the effect of paving the way for talks between GAM (Free Aceh Movement) and the government. But it is important that civil society representatives are involved in the talks.


6. What effect has the RLA had on your work?

It has helped me to put my own work into a much broader context.