Abdurrahman approves questioning of generals<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The President has issued an approval for
\na joint Indonesian Military\/National Police investigative team to
\nquestion several high-ranking military officers allegedly
\ninvolved in the 1996 attack on the Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI) headquarters, a senior officer said on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"We have received the President's written permission to
\nquestion the generals,\" Maj. Gen. Djasrie Marin, deputy chairman
\nof the team, announced after the team's meeting at the National
\nPolice Headquarters in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The permission was dated July 26, 2000,\" he said. The attack
\non the PDI headquarters happened on July 27, 1996.<\/p>\n
Djasrie, who is also chief of the National Military Police
\nHeadquarters, said the team would question several retired
\ngenerals who were allegedly involved in the July 1996 attack,
\nincluding Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso, the incumbent governor of
\nJakarta, and Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid, the former Armed
\nForces (ABRI) chief of sociopolitical affairs.<\/p>\n
\"We'll question Let. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso and Lt. Gen. (ret)
\nSyarwan Hamid as witnesses. But we haven't set a schedule for the
\nquestioning yet,\" he said. He declined to disclose the other
\ngenerals and their legal status.<\/p>\n
Before the establishment of the team early this year, a
\nsimilar investigation of several civilians and military and
\npolice officers was conducted by the National Police
\nHeadquarters.<\/p>\n
The results of the police investigation have named 13 people
\nas suspects, including former PDI chairman Soerjadi, secretary-
\ngeneral Buttu R. Hutapea and youth leader Yorrys Th. Raweyai.<\/p>\n
The military and police officers who were questioned by the
\npolice investigators included former ABRI chief Gen. (ret) Feisal
\nTanjung, Syarwan, Sutiyoso, former ABRI chief of general affairs
\nLt. Gen. (ret) Soeyono and former ABRI chief of the intelligence
\nbody Maj. Gen. (ret) Samsir Siregar.<\/p>\n
Djasrie said the joint team would not be quick to label the
\ngenerals as suspects.<\/p>\n
\"We are focusing on efforts to gather information from all
\nparties related to the case.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want to name them as suspects, when in fact they
\nwere not involved in the attack,\" the two-star general said.<\/p>\n
\"When we get all the evidence and testimonies, we'll consider
\nmentioning names.\"<\/p>\n
Excluding generals, Djasri said, there were many other
\nwitnesses to be summoned for questioning.<\/p>\n
\"We still have many other people to question, including
\ncivilians, military and police personnel.<\/p>\n
\"In an effort to accelerate the investigation, the
\ninterrogators will not be burdened with other things except to
\nfocus on the case,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A group of supporters of PDI's splinter faction, reportedly
\nbacked by elements in ABRI, raided and took over the party
\nheadquarters from the loyalists of ousted PDI leader Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
The attack triggered mass unrest throughout the Central
\nJakarta area, killing at least five people and injuring 49
\nothers. Meanwhile, 23 other people are reportedly still missing.
\n(asa)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abdurrahman-approves-questioning-of-generals-1447893297",
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