[JURIST] On Thursday Indonesian officials rejected [Aljazeera report] the findings of the international people’s tribunal formed at the Hague that Indonesia had committed crimes against humanity in killing the country’s communist party members and followers in the 1960s. The tribunal had held Idonesia was responsible [Jakarta Post report] for over 400,000 killings, and the tribunal called upon the state to investigate into the situation and prosecute those responsible. The country’s Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan denounced the tribunal’s findings, stating the matter was “none of their business,” and the foreign ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the tribunals suggestions were “not legally binding.” Despite the tribunal’s report lacking legal staying-power, some believe the report will place pressure on the government to address the issues. The report also accused the United States of complicity in the killings, while also condemning Great Britain and Australia for recycling Indonesia’s anti-communism propaganda.

Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission [official website, in Indonesian] released a report [executive summary, PDF, in Indonesian] in 2012, which found that the mass killings constituted gross human rights violations. The government dismissed the report’s findings and refused to take further action. The killings followed a fail coup attempt and led to the downfall of President Sukarno and the beginning of of Suharto’s 30-year rule. Rights activists also blame the US, UK and Australia for complicity in the killings by providing support to Suharto’s forces.