People’s Empowerment Consortium
Address: Jl. Madrasah IX No. 9A Jakarta Timur, JKT 13440 INDONESIA
e-Mail: pec_secretariat@yahoo.com, pec.office@gmail.com
Telp.: (+6221) 30072278, Fax: (+6221) 85904403
Account No. : 0060-00-4542-91-0
SWIFT Code: BEIIIDJA006
Bank Mandiri Cabang Jatinegara Timur
Bearer of Account: People’s Empowerment Consortium
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A Glimpse of PEC
Our Mission & Strategy
People’s Empowerment Consortium (PEC) was established in 2003 to work progressively on transitional justice initiatives in the post-authoritarian Indonesia. Focussing on this effort is tremendously important given the fact that the well-preserved New Order’s culture of impunity still strongly promoted by the existing regime. As a consequence, building a stronger civil society from the core and most affected ones—victim’s communities, all related supporting groups and advocacy organizations—is an imperative for us.
PEC main mission is to support and foster an enabling environment to pursue state’s accountability of past human rights abuses in Indonesia. The first priority is placed on the advocacy of humanity tragedy following the 1965 coup in Indonesia – a tragedy that took millions of life, caused miseries to their descendants up to the present, and silenced the voices of the majority of the people.
Issues covered in the efforts include:
o Accelerating historical clarification,
o Pursuing accountability of past abuses
o Reducing stigma and discrimination to the victims [esp. of 1965 humanity tragedy] and their families,
Executives:
* Director : Garda Sembiring
* Secretary: Aan Rusdianto
* Advocacy Dept.: Suma Mihardja
* Research Dept.: Nancy Sunarno
* Publication Dept.: Bram Adriano
* Program Dept.: Zico Mulia
* Documentation Dept.: Zico Mulia
* Administration Dept.: Magdalena R.
Research associates:
* Boni Triyana
* Asmin Fransiska
* Michael D. Prambastho
* Bambang Agung
Advisors:
* George J. Aditjondro
* I. Sandyawan
* Joesoef Isak
* Rossie Indira
* Andre Vltchek
The Program
PEC has four main programs:
1) Producing and Publishing books and other materials revealing alternative version of the tragedy as well as other material on transitional justice in Indonesia
2) Initiating a civil society-based truth commission in Indonesia
3) Developing integrated data base for victims of past human rights abuses in Indonesia, starting from the 1965 humanity tragedy.
4) Developing and maintaining solidarity and support from both national and international communities.
Undergoing Projects:
1. Translate and publish a Bahasa Indonesia version of Nunca Mas (Conadep’s final report – Argentina), in partnership with HIVOS, Umverteilen! Stiftung and ICTJ
2. Serial translation of Expert testimonies before the Indonesian Constitutional Court on Indonesian TRC (Prof. Paul van Zyl, Prof. Douglass Cassell, Prof. Naomi Roht-Arriazza), in partnership with the ICTJ
3. Translation of Teresa Birks’ article ‘Neglected Duty: Providing Comprehensive Reparations to the Indonesian “1965 Victims” of State Persecution’, in partnership with the ICTJ
Forthcoming Projects:
1. Oral History Project “Forced-Detention Camp in Central Java Province: Survivor’s Memory of 1965 Humanity Tragedy”, in partnership with SEPHIS – the Netherlands
2. Organizing public discussion on “Chega!” (Timor Leste’s CAVR final report) – in partnership with FES Indonesia and STP CAVR
3. Organizing public discussions on "Nunca Mas" in Jakarta (August 30, 2007) and several other regions.
What We Have Done
Below are some activities that we have been conducted and or still in an ongoing process:
1. In 2003, PEC, together with several victim’s organization, such as: LPKP’ 65, Pakorba, and LPRKROB held a series of seminar (to disseminate the results of Indonesian delegation who have attended the 59th session of UNHCHR in Geneva) and workshop (October 2003) to draw out campaign strategy to advocate the 1965 issue. The workshop has resulted a common understanding on the needs to have a stronger cooperation between individuals and organization to progress the efforts of:
· historical clarification,
· advocating the rehabilitation of victims.
2. Composed, published and launched of “Gerakan 30 September 1965: Kesaksian Letkol (Pnb) Heru Atmodjo” (The September 30th Movement: Testimony of Lt. Col. (Pnb) Heru Atmodjo). Editors: Garda Sembiring and Harsono Sutedjo. Co-published by PEC, Hasta Mitra, and TriDe in Jakarta, October 2004. The book was launched in Jakarta and Solo.
3. Soft launching and discussion of Terlena–Breaking of a Nation. A 90-minutes documentary film by MillaChe Production (directed by Andre Vltchek) in Jakarta December 2004 celebrating the international day for Human Rights. This is the first screening in Indonesia after the New York International Independent Film Festival (NYIIFF) premiere launching November 2004.
4. Pre-workshop. The main objective of the event was to explore and to update the subjective and objective opportunity and challenges of the advocacy work for 1965 victims. The event was held as a collaboration work of PEC and KontraS at 18-19 February 2005 in Jakarta. Participants of the pre-workshop consisted of non-affiliated victims, and representatives from several organizations including NGOs such as Syarikat Indonesia, YAPHI, KontraS and PEC. One of the results was the establishment of Sekber ’65 (Sekretariat Bersama Penuntasan Tragedi ’65 or Joint Secretariat for the Advocacy of 1965 victims).
5. Developing a concept on integrated human rights documentation system for 1965 victims. PEC has produced a concept paper and has conducted preliminary meetings with human rights documenters.
6. Activating Sekber ’65 (Joint Secretariat for the Advocacy of 1965 victims). The joint secretariat is aimed for consolidating a wide range of victims groups and individuals concerned. This joint secretariat has assembled regular meetings on 1965 issues.
7. International Support and Campaign. Developing international network and support has been started from the Indonesian exiles linkages, other INGOs, or groups of individuals, especially those who have a great concern upon the problems of Indonesian past human right abuses. We have been succeeded in supporting two delegations of Indonesia and one from Australia (Robert Cribb, Ph.D a senior historian from ANU) on the 61st Session of the High Commissions of Human Rights in Geneva. Together with all participants of Sekber ’65, we produced some campaign materials to support the mission, such as posters, banner, oral intervention, filling out two questionnaires to be submitted for the “Arbitrary Detention Working Group”.
8. Advocating a delegation of North Sumatran Committee on Human Right abuses of 1965 Event during their mission in Jakarta.
9. Preparing of some materials to be published:
* translating and publishing an Indonesian edition of Nunca Más (Never Again): Report of Conadep (the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons)”, 1986 (forthcoming August 30, 2007).
* translating article of “Comment by the International Center for Transitional Justice on the Bill Establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Indonesia”, Eduardo Gonzalez (ICTJ New York).
* facilitating the publishing of Exile: Conversation with Pramoedya Ananta Toer, a book by Andre Vltchek and Rossie Indira, Haymarket Books, May 2006, Chicago, Illinois.
* publishing manuscripts, biographies or testimonies written by victims/survivors of 1965 humanity tragedy. E.g.: The late Ibu Sumiyarsi Siwirini Plantungan: Penjara Perempuan (Plantungan: Women Prison Camp During the New Order).
10. Organizing 40th commemoration of 1965 humanity tragedy in Jakarta and several other cities. Eight-days of cultural events in Jakarta was held which included radio talk-show (68H), public discussions, documentary film screening, art performances in University of Indonesia; Utan Kayu Community; Goethe Haus, TIM, CCF (French Cultural Center), etc,. Public discussions, happening arts and film screenings in Medan, North Sumatra; Bandung, West Java; Semarang and Purwokerto, Central Java; Surabaya, East Java; Makassar, South Sulawesi, etc. Participants mostly came from younger generation (high school students, college students, NGOs, including human rights activists, victims and survivors’ communities, academicians, and cultural activists) as well as those from the senior – the survivors of the tragedy. Participants of the events showed enthusiasm and wanted to know more about the tragedy; also started to have empathy upon the victims. The serial events have encouraged the victims to articulate their voices openly to a wider public. Students and high school teachers had a chance to communicate directly with some key witnesses as well as survivors of the tragedy.
11. Developing a civil society network to respond critically on the establishment of the Indonesian TRC.
12. Participating an international conference of “Dealing with a Burdened Past: Transitional Justice and Democratization – Asia Experience”, Berlin, April 20 – 21, 2006, co-organized by FES, Justitia et Pax and Watch Indonesia.
Our Partners
In our works we have develop a working relationship mainly with victims groups, other Indonesian NGOs such as YSIK (Indonesian Social Foundation for Humanity), Jakarta; JRK (Jaringan Relawan Kemanusiaan), Jakarta; YAPHI (Foundation of Indonesian Legal Aid Service), Solo, Central Java; KontraS (The Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence), Jakarta; Demos (Center for Democracy & Human Rights Studies), Jakarta; Bakumsu, North Sumatra; Syarikat-Indonesia, (Community of Santri for People's Democracy), Yogyakarta; PUSdEP (Pusat Sejarah & Etika Politik/Center for History & Political Ethics), Yogyakarta; Perguruan Rakyat Merdeka (Popular Education Project), KIPAS (Komunitas Insan Pemerhati Seni) Jakarta; CARe-Aceh (Center Aid in Resolving Aceh), Banda Aceh; and many other NGOs as well as mass organizations.
On the international community, we also have developed partnership with Stiftung Umverteilen! Germany; FES (Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung), Germany; HIVOS Southeast Asia in Jakarta, HOM (Humanist Committee on Human Rights) Netherlands/Jakarta representative; Watch Indonesia! in Berlin, and ICTJ (International Center for Transitional Justice) New York; Post-CAVR Technical Secretariat (Secretariado Tecnico Pos-CAVR), Timor Leste; TAPOL (The Indonesia Human Rights Campaign), London; and "NEW TACTICS" (the New Tactics in Human Rights), Minneapolis.
