Generals responsible for past rights abuses: Komnas<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) appealed to
\nall presidential and vice presidential candidates to carefully
\nread its reports on human rights violations to prevent them from
\nrecurring.<\/p>\n
Komnas HAM Chairman Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara said the
\nreports clearly identified the gravity of the rights violations
\nand who was thought to be responsible for the abuses. He stressed
\nthat it would be the job of the next government to follow up on
\ntheir investigations.<\/p>\n
\"Our investigations into the Trisakti incident, the riots in
\nMay 1998 and the Semanggi I and II incidents in November 1998 and
\nSeptember 1999 indicated that the military authorities were
\nresponsible for those incidents, including Wiranto, Prabowo,
\nSjafrie Sjamsoeddin and others,\" Abdul Hakim told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Gen. (ret) Wiranto, the Golkar Party presidential candidate,
\nwas the Indonesian Military chief, Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo was the
\nchief of the Army's Strategic Reserve Command and Maj. Gen.
\nSjafrie Sjamsoeddin was the chief of the Jakarta military command
\nwhen the May 1998 incidents took place.<\/p>\n
\"We do not mean to say they were the perpetrators of the
\nincidents, but they have to be held accountable because as
\ncommanders of the security forces they failed to protect people,\"
\nAbdul Hakim asserted.<\/p>\n
He was commenting on a statement from Solahuddin Wahid, who
\nannounced publicly on Wednesday that the rights body had cleared
\nhis running mate Wiranto of violations.<\/p>\n
Solahuddin led the Komnas HAM team in the investigation of the
\nMay riots before resigning recently to run with Wiranto. He
\nattempted to subpoena the active and former military officers,
\nbut they ignored the summonses.<\/p>\n
Abdul Hakim said the rights body's findings would remain
\nintact and urged the Attorney General's Office to launch a formal
\ninvestigation based on the commission's reports.<\/p>\n
\"Whoever governs the country, he or she has to finish what we
\nstarted. If the current government fails to do it, then the next
\none has to get the job done,\" Abdul Hakim said.<\/p>\n
He also called on all the candidates to refrain from
\nstigmatizing rights campaigners by saying they lacked nationalism
\nor were working for foreign interests.<\/p>\n
\"On the contrary, because of our nationalism, we promote human
\nrights,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Komnas HAM deputy chairperson Zoemrotin K. Susilo,
\nsaid that Solahuddin's candidacy with Wiranto had nothing to do
\nwith the commission.<\/p>\n
She refused, however, to comment on Solahuddin's statement in
\ndefense of Wiranto.<\/p>\n
\"It's his personal statement. We have nothing to do with it
\ndespite the fact that he once led the team to probe the May 1998
\nriots. Let the people decide,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Wiranto has been fending off allegations of rights abuses by
\nsaying that they are only being brought up for the purposes of
\ncharacter assassination by his opponents.<\/p>\n
A fact finding team set up by the government of B.J. Habibie
\nannounced on Nov. 3, 1998, that individuals within the armed
\nforces took an active role in inciting the May riots and
\nconfirmed that there were cases of rape and sexual assault during
\nthose three days of chaos.<\/p>\n
\"The commission found indications (of Wiranto's involvement in
\nthe case). Therefore, we summoned him, but he did not show up. If
\nhe really considers himself innocent, he should answer the
\nsummons. It's about moral ethics,\" Zoemrotin said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/generals-responsible-for-past-rights-abuses-komnas-1447893297",
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