Desmond Junaidi Mahesa was in his early 30s and on his way to a political meeting in Jakarta in 1998 when he was attacked by unknown assailants.
“I was pushed down to the asphalt, then my head was covered by a black cloth. Then somebody dragged me into a car," he tells SBS News through a translator.
“I lost track of where I am after that.”
I was pushed down to the asphalt, then my head was covered by a black cloth. - Desmond Junaidi Mahesa
He is one of dozens of political activists kidnapped in 1997 and 1998 in an apparent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters during the dying days of former president of Indonesia Suharto’s regime.
Many never returned. Desmond is among just a handful of known survivors.
Desmond Junaidi Mahesa was assaulted and abducted on his way to a political meeting in Jakarta in 1998. Source: SBS News
Prabowo Subianto was the head of Indonesia’s special forces, Kopassus, at the time of the kidnappings.
He is now the popular opposition figure who is vying for Indonesia’s presidency for a second time when more than 193 million people vote in the country’s 17 April elections.
Some kidnapping victims, as well as family members of those who never returned, hold him responsible. But 20 years after the birth of Indonesia’s people power movement, Desmond does not.
“It’s not actually Prabowo as a person who was responsible there,” he says.
Prabowo Subianto. Source: Getty Images
Indonesian political analyst Dewi Fortuna Anwar says the scandal previously ended Prabowo’s political career.
“He’s been dismissed from the military for that reason,” she says.
“It was never very clear what happened because there was never a military tribunal, but the ethics council of generals dismissed him.”
After his kidnapping, Desmond returned to practice law and later re-entered politics, joining Prabowo’s Gerindra party where he is now chairman of Serang district in West Java.
He will support Prabowo’s run for the presidency on Wednesday.
“Yes, I support him,” he says.
He believes there should be an official investigation into who was behind the kidnappings.
“If the truth is really truthful, that Prabowo is guilty, I will say Prabowo is guilty,” he says.
“In my opinion, it has become a political tool in its relation to the kidnapping cases.”
Some in Indonesia blame the system itself, says Dewi Fortuna Anwar.
“There are those who say … it was clearly a more systematic ‘new order’ policy to carry out repression against student activist and human rights activists,” she says.
But the matter has never been properly investigated in Indonesia. And perhaps never will be.
“We have never carried out any serious investigation of past human rights abuses,” she says, adding that incumbent President Joko Widodo has so far remained silent on the issue.
“If you look at who Jokowi surrounds himself with, not all of those retired generals are squeaky clean either.”
“Our democratic transition has been successful, but our democratic consolidation has been very challenging.”
Rhiannon Elston is reporting on the election from Indonesia for SBS News. Follow her on Twitter @RhiannonElston
