Attorney General's Office probes T. Priok rights abuses<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State prosecutors decided on Monday to continue
\ntheir investigation into the 1984 Tanjung Priok incident, while
\nawaiting the establishment of a joint investigating team on human
\nrights abuses which would eventually take over the case.<\/p>\n
Attorney General's Office spokesman Muljohardjo said the 40-
\nmember team of prosecutors summoned four witnesses to testify on
\nMonday, but only one person attended.<\/p>\n
Muljohardjo said the witness testified that he attended a
\nmeeting to recite verses from the Koran on Sept. 12, 1984 on Jl.
\nSindang, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The preacher during the meeting, Amir Biki, reportedly spoke
\nof inciting support for the release of four people being detained
\nat the district military command's office.<\/p>\n
There is no immediate information about when the three absent
\nwitnesses would be summoned again, however prosecutors have
\nalready scheduled another three witnesses to be questioned on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
According to Muljohardjo, the decision to proceed with
\ninvestigations was reached after a meeting between prosecutors,
\nthe National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas Ham) and the
\nNational Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
\n(Kontras) last week.<\/p>\n
Muljohardjo said prosecutors would begin investigating the
\ncase because members for the joint investigating are still being
\nselected.<\/p>\n
Once the team is formed, prosecutors will hand over the
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
\"If the joint team finds the testimonies and information
\ngathered by the prosecutors insufficient, the team can repeat the
\ninvestigation,\" Muljohardjo told journalists.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office began an investigation into the
\ncase based on an inquiry report by Komnas Ham, but then ceased
\ninquiries after alleged victims and relatives of the Tanjung
\nPriok incident demanded a more credible joint team investigate
\nthe case, consisting of experts and public figures.<\/p>\n
However the establishment of the joint team has been dogged by
\ndelays.<\/p>\n
Previous governments have claimed that the Sept. 12, 1984
\nclash was caused following provocative lectures at the Tanjung
\nPriok Rawa Badak Mosque, by preachers criticizing the government.<\/p>\n
Komnas Ham said in its report that there were 33 known
\nfatalities in the incident, including 14 people whose identities
\nremain unknown, and a Chinese-Indonesian family of eight and
\ntheir servant who burned to death when their house was set on
\nfire.<\/p>\n
The report also states that at least 55 people were injured
\nduring the incident. (bby)<\/p>",
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