Human rights group criticizes latest TNI reshuffle<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The appointment of Army Special Forces (Kopassus) commander
\nMaj. Gen. Sriyanto Muntrasan as the new commander of the high
\nprofile Siliwangi Military Command overseeing West Java drew
\nstrong criticism from a human rights group and expert.<\/p>\n
Coordinator of the National Commission for Missing Persons and
\nVictims of Violence (Kontras) Usman Hamid said policy makers at
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) headquarters are supposed to take into
\nconsideration the track record of their senior officers with
\nregard to human rights when they are being promoted.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, analyst Ikrar Nusa Bakti of the Indonesian
\nInstitute of Sciences (LIPI) said that promoting a controversial
\nfigure like Sriyanto reflected the prevailing narrow thinking of
\nthe TNI on human rights values and the failure of the TNI's much
\ntouted internal reform measures.<\/p>\n
The two were commenting on a major reshuffle in the TNI that
\nwas announced over the weekend, affecting 42 high-ranking
\nofficers. The appointment of Sriyanto to the Siliwangi Military
\nCommand has raised many eyebrows due to his alleged involvement
\nin human rights violations in the past.<\/p>\n
Sriyanto was chief of operations at the North Jakarta Military
\nCommand when the Tanjung Priok incident occurred in 1988, when
\ntroops open fire on demonstrators, killing 24 people and injuring
\n54 others, according to official figures.<\/p>\n
Last year, Sriyanto stood trial before the ad hoc human rights
\ntribunal, but the panel of judges acquitted him of all charges in
\nNovember. The Attorney General's Office plans to appeal to the
\nSupreme Court, meaning that the legal process is still ongoing.<\/p>\n
Another controversial figure being promoted is Col. Chairawan,
\na senior Koppasus officer. Although his name was not included in
\nthe list of 42 officers announced on Saturday, Army spokesman
\nHotmangaradja Pandjaitan confirmed on Sunday rumors that
\nChairawan would be appointed as the new commander of the
\nLilawangsa Military Resort overseeing northern Aceh trough to
\neastern Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"Nasution will be replaced by Chairawan,\" Hotma told The Post.<\/p>\n
Chairawan, who will replace Col. Azmyn Yusri Nasution, has
\nbeen grounded for years following the kidnappings of pro-
\ndemocracy activists in late 1990s.<\/p>\n
The TNI in 2003 launched a massive offensive against Free Aceh
\nMovement insurgents, who has been fighting for sovereignty for
\nthe oil and gas-rich Aceh province for decades. There have been
\nconcerns that continuing violence involving GAM and the TNI could
\ndisrupt distribution of relief aid in the tsunami-hit province.<\/p>\n
Usman said that although President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\ncould not interfere in the reshuffle process affecting two-star
\ngenerals and other officers below that rank, \"he should not turn
\na blind eye, unless he also cares little about human rights
\nissues.\"<\/p>\n
He expressed the fear that the promotion of the two
\ncontroversial senior officers to strategic posts was a further
\nsign of their impunity even at a time when rights groups were
\nstill pressing for legal cases against the two for past rights
\nviolations.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/human-rights-group-criticizes-latest-tni-reshuffle-1447893297",
"image": ""
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