Govt confirms validaty of Prabowo discharge<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government insisted yesterday Lt. Gen.
\nPrabowo Subianto's dismissal from the military was valid as
\ngovernment critics expressed their disappointment over the
\nadministrative sanction.<\/p>\n
The critics also slammed Minister of Defense\/Armed Forces
\n(ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto for not explaining the grounds for
\nhis decision to dismiss Prabowo from the military, rather than
\ncourt-martialling him for his apparent involvement in the
\nabduction and torture of political activists.<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice Muladi said yesterday, from the legal
\npoint of view, Prabowo's dismissal was valid even though it was
\ndecreed by Wiranto rather than President B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
He said both the President, in his capacity as ABRI supreme
\ncommander, and the ABRI commander had the same authority to
\nimpose such sanctions.<\/p>\n
The administrative sanctions imposed on Prabowo and Maj. Gen.
\nMuchdi Purwopranjono, both former commandants-general of the Army
\nSpecial Force (Kopassus) and Col. Chairawan, former chief of
\nKopassus' Group IV for intelligence, have drawn mixed reactions
\nfrom the public.<\/p>\n
Wiranto announced the dismissal Monday, when he also decreed
\nthat Muchdi and Chairawan would no longer hold any positions in
\nthe Armed Forces. He said the decision was based on the
\nrecommendation from the Officers Honor Council which investigated
\nthe three men.<\/p>\n
Wiranto also acknowledged that the three could also be brought
\nbefore a military tribunal if damning evidence against them was
\nfound in the forthcoming trials of 11 Kopassus soldiers who were
\nallegedly directly involved in the abduction and torture of
\npolitical activists.<\/p>\n
\"Wait and see and let ABRI make its own decision,\" Muladi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
A member of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
\nViolence (Kontras) complained yesterday that Wiranto's recent
\nannouncement was unclear and incomplete.<\/p>\n
\"Wiranto didn't disclose thoroughly what mistakes the three
\nofficers committed and what factors led the ABRI leadership to
\nmake such a decision,\" Sirra Prayuna said.<\/p>\n
Wiranto failed to mention the mistakes or how far the three
\nwere involved in the abduction and torture of the activists,
\nSirra said.<\/p>\n
He also pointed out that the obscurity would slow his
\norganization's efforts to disclose the fate of the remaining 14
\nmissing people.<\/p>\n
\"We hope ABRI would be more transparent about the Officers
\nHonor Council's investigation into the three officers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sirra said it would no longer do for ABRI to continue telling
\nthe public that it knew nothing about the whereabouts of the
\nactivists.<\/p>\n
Amien Rais, the chairman of the newly established National
\nMandate Party, speculated Tuesday about an underhand deal made by
\nABRI leaders and the three officers to cover up the full story of
\nthe abductions.<\/p>\n
\"What we want is a comprehensive and transparent explanation
\nfrom ABRI about the activists' abductions, the May riots and the
\nstudents' shooting at Trisakti University,\" he said,<\/p>\n
He pointed out how the public was disappointed with Wiranto's
\nannouncement on the sanctions against the three officers. He said
\na decision taken without explaining its grounds or preliminary
\nconsiderations would not educate the public about the truth
\nbehind the abductions.<\/p>\n
\"The authorities should now conduct a thorough investigation
\nto reveal who should be held responsible for the abductions and
\nriots,\" he said. (emf\/rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-confirms-validaty-of-prabowo-discharge-1447893297",
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