Govt plays down lawsuit against Johny<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab played
\ndown on Saturday a lawsuit filed by two U.S. human rights groups
\nagainst an Indonesian Army general, saying it was an ordinary
\ncase in the United States.<\/p>\n
The minister expressed his confidence that the legal action
\nagainst Lt. Gen. Johny Lumintang would not affect the close
\nrelations between Indonesia and the superpower country.<\/p>\n
Alwi said U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Gelbart had
\ncalled him to give his assurance about the steady relations
\nbetween the two countries.<\/p>\n
\"It is just common practice in the United States that when
\nsomeone is being sued, the court there must be responsive by
\nissuing a summons to testify, to give a statement,\" Alwi said
\nafter attending a special Cabinet meeting at Bina Graha
\npresidential office.<\/p>\n
Before the Cabinet meeting, Alwi said Indonesia regretted the
\nlawsuit.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot blame the United States, but we can only say that
\nwe regret that this has happened,\" Alwi said.<\/p>\n
An American lawyer confirmed on Friday that her human rights
\norganization had served an Indonesian general for crimes against
\nhumanity in East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"We brought a complaint against Gen. Johnny Lumintang,
\ncharging him with crimes against humanity for this repression
\nagainst East Timorese,\" said attorney Jennie Green who signed the
\ndocument, as quoted by AFP.<\/p>\n
The New York-based Representatives of the Center for
\nConstitutional Rights (CCR) served Johny the complaint at Dulles
\nInternational Airport outside Washington as he was preparing to
\nleave the country on Thursday. The San Francisco-based Center for
\nJustice and Accountability also sued Lumintang for the same
\ncomplaint.<\/p>\n
The two groups acted on behalf of three East Timorese
\nplaintiffs, including a mother whose son was killed during the
\nmayhem after the independence referendum in East Timor last
\nAugust.<\/p>\n
Green said Johny had until April 19 to respond to the charges
\nof \"torture, cruel and inhuman or degrading treatment, wrongful
\ndeath, assault and battery and intentional infliction of
\nemotional distress,\" in his capacity as Army deputy chief of
\nstaff at that time.<\/p>\n
Johny currently serves as the National Resilience Institute
\n(Lemhannas) governor and was in Washington for a conference.<\/p>\n
According to Green, Johny could ignore the complaint and face
\nthe prospect of a default judgment.<\/p>\n
The East Timor Action Network (ETAN) accused Johny of ordering
\nmilitary commanders to plan a crackdown on proindependence
\nsupporters if they won the self-determination referendum.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has been in hot water due to the alleged role of its
\nmilitary in the rampaging violence exploding after the Aug. 30
\nballot, which resulted in an overwhelming rejection to
\nIndonesia's offer of wide-ranging autonomy.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Lumintang's case has no relation at all with our laws or
\nour way of handling East Timor,\" Alwi said, commenting on the
\nlawsuit. (prb\/byg\/cst)<\/p>",
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