ABRI dismisses findings' variance<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) yesterday dismissed the
\ndifferences between the findings of the National Commission on
\nHuman Rights' investigation into the July 27 riot and that of the
\ngovernment as \"natural\".<\/p>\n
ABRI Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid
\nsaid the differences came about because each one approached the
\nissue differently.<\/p>\n
The commission had talked to and interviewed people and groups
\ndifferent from those approached by the government, he said.<\/p>\n
The commission on Saturday published a provisional report of
\nits findings, which said that five people were killed and 149
\ninjured during the riots. It also said that 74 people continued
\nto be missing since the riots.<\/p>\n
The report did not explain the circumstances of the deaths,
\ninjuries or disappearances.<\/p>\n
The government had earlier said four people were dead, but
\ngave no figure for people reported missing.<\/p>\n
Syarwan said that the number of people reported missing in the
\ncommission's report was not final. He suspected that these people
\nwent missing because they were terrified of the authorities.<\/p>\n
\"Being absent from home for days is not an extraordinary
\nphenomenon here, is it?\" he asked. \"They are missing because they
\nare scared of being regarded as suspects in the riots.\"<\/p>\n
The riots broke out following the violent take-over of the
\nheadquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party on Jl.
\nDiponegoro, Central Jakarta, by supporters of chairman Soerjadi.
\nThe premises had been occupied by supporters of Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, who was removed from the PDI leadership in a
\ngovernment-sanctioned congress in Medan in June.<\/p>\n
The violence quickly spread to neighboring streets with people
\nsetting fire to office buildings and shops in the area.<\/p>\n
Syarwan said people should not be too obsessed with the
\nfigures presented in the commission's report, a practice he
\ndescribed as a waste of time and energy. \"Don't misinterpret the
\nfigures, especially on the number of missing persons,\" he said.<\/p>\n
They should be more concerned about the follow-up to the
\ninvestigation, he said.<\/p>\n
Syarwan said the commission's finding would be considered as
\nauxiliary inputs for the government in its own investigation.<\/p>\n
\"The commission's findings and the government's findings are
\ncomplementary,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Delays in announcing the results of the investigation prompted
\nspeculation earlier that the commission was under pressure to
\ntone down the content of its report. Commission members however
\nsaid there was no such pressure from the government or the
\nmilitary. (imn)<\/p>",
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