Visiting Komnas HAM, Family of Tangerang Prison Fire Victim Complain 7 Findings

Friday, October 29th, 2021 | 11:41 WIB

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.TV - Families of victims of the fire at the Class I Correctional Institution (Lapas) in Tangerang, Banten visited the Komnas HAM office in Central Jakarta on Thursday (28/10/2021) yesterday.

They were accompanied by the Fire Victims Advocacy Team (TAKK) consisting of LBH Society (LBH), LBH Jakarta, Imparsial, and LPBH NU Tangerang.

They complained about the continuation of the prison fire case.

Quoted from Kompas.com, the representative of the Advocacy Team for Class I Tangerang Prison Fire Victims, Ma'ruf Bajammal, said "There were 7 findings from complaints from the victim's family to the advocacy team regarding the post-Tangerang prison fire response process.

First, there is a lack of clarity in the process of identifying the bodies of the deceased victims or the lack of transparency. In fact, until the victim was buried there was no accurate information received by the victim's family.

Second, there is a lack of transparency in the delivery of the bodies of the deceased. When the victim's family asked to open the coffin to see the body, but officers were advised not to see the body.

Third, based on the statement of the victim's family, the coffin made of ordinary plywood is not suitable for use as a coffin," said Ma'ruf, Thursday.

"Fourth, there were allegations of intimidation during the signing of administrative documents and retrieving the bodies.

During the signing, he continued, the victim's family was asked to sign the document in a hurry, surrounded by many people.

Fifth, there is an effort to silence the victim's family so that the victim's family does not sue any party for the Tangerang prison fire incident.

This, he said, was strengthened by a letter that had to be signed by the victim's family. The letter contains a statement that there will be no demands to the prison party in the future.

Sixth, after the fire incident, there was no ongoing psychological assistance to the victim's family.

Finally, the government gave 30 million IDR which was deemed not to help the victim's family. The money is only spent for the sake of consolation or prayer for the deceased."

Of the seven things he said four basic problems that occurred in the incident.

First, the non-disclosure of information at the time of the victim handover.

Second, there is the impossibility of returning the bodies to the deceased.

Third, there is an abuse of circumstances which then has an impact on the human rights of the victim's family.

And fourth, the absence of compensation to the victim's family as a form of government responsibility for the fire incident.

"Based on this, we submitted a complaint to Komnas HAM for further actions," he said.

Penulis : Baitur Rohman | Editor : Desy Afrianti