Govt launches investigation into May riots<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government announced yesterday its much-
\nawaited team to investigate the massive May riots in Jakarta and
\nother cities which left 1,200 people killed, more than 160 women
\nviolated and led to the downfall of president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The team includes representatives from the Armed Forces,
\ngovernment agencies, the National Commission on Human Rights and
\nother non-governmental organizations. The members have been given
\nthree months to report to their respective superiors.<\/p>\n
"The team will unveil the truth behind the riots... and it
\nshould be independent," said Minister of Justice Muladi, who was
\none of six officials to sign the decree on the team's
\nestablishment, at its inauguration at his ministry in Kuningan,
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The other five officials were Minister of Defense and
\nSecurity\/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto, Minister of Home
\nAffairs Syarwan Hamid, Attorney General Muhammad Ghalib and
\nrepresentatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
\nOffice of State Minister of Women's Affairs.<\/p>\n
Among the 19 members of the team, which will be financed by
\nthe State Secretariat, are deputy chairman of the rights body
\nMarzuki Darusman, commission members Asmara Nababan, Saparinah
\nSadli and Bambang W. Soeharto, and Bambang Widjojanto of the
\nIndonesian Legal Aid Foundation.<\/p>\n
The team also includes Ita Fatia Nadia of the women's rights
\ngroup Kalyanamitra, Nursyahbani Katjasungkana of the Indonesian
\nWomen's Association for Justice, lawyer Abdul Hakim Garuda
\nNusantara from the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy,
\nCatholic priest Sandyawan Sumardi of the Volunteers of Humanity
\nand Maj. Gen. Syamsu Djalal, the National Military Police
\ncommander.<\/p>\n
"This joint decree demonstrates a strong will on the part of
\nall components of the nation to unveil the truth behind the riots
\nin May," Wiranto told reporters after the ceremony.<\/p>\n
"We hope for the full support from all parties in order to
\nfinish our task with honesty and transparency, free from any
\npolitical or group interests, " he added.<\/p>\n
He also said that reports from the Volunteers of Humanity will
\nbe used as the basic information for further investigations.<\/p>\n
It was this group that first reported that the May 13 to May
\n15 rioting was incited by people who appeared to have been well
\norganized, and that hundreds of women were gang raped.<\/p>\n
Sandyawan, however, aired doubts about the independence of the
\nteam.<\/p>\n
"The Volunteers of Humanity has been included in the team and
\nwe will of course ask for the promised independence of the team,"
\nSandyawan said.<\/p>\n
Latest data from the group said 1,190 people died after being
\ntrapped and burned during fires and 27 died from gunshot wounds.
\nThirty-one people are classified as missing, 91 were wounded and
\n168 women raped and sexually assaulted, of whom 20 died or
\ncommitted suicide.<\/p>\n
Bambang Widjojanto, who did not attend the inauguration, said
\nyesterday from his office in Central Jakarta that he would quit
\nthe team if it proves not to be independent.<\/p>\n
He said the government should also establish teams which
\ninclude non-governmental organizations and members of the public
\nto probe into the fatal shootings of four Trisakti University
\nstudents a day before the riots, and into the abductions of
\npolitical activists. (byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-launches-investigation-into-may-riots-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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