Komnas has preliminary evidence against Soeharto<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says it has
\nfound preliminary evidence of human rights violations by former
\npresident Soeharto during his 32-years of iron-fisted leadership,
\nbut has yet to decide whether or not to recommend prosecution.<\/p>\n
M.M. Billah, who leads a Komnas HAM team investigating
\nSoeharto's rights violations, said on Friday that the team was
\nfocusing on five major cases, including the detention without
\ntrial of alleged members of the Indonesian Communists Party (PKI)
\non Buru island following an aborted coup d'etat attempt in 1965.<\/p>\n
Four other cases were the mysterious murders of criminals
\nknown as Petrus in the early 1980s, the Tanjung Priok massacre in
\nearly 1984, the imposition of military operation region (DOM) in
\nAceh from 1989 through 1998, and the July 27 attack on the
\nIndonesia Democratic Party (PDI-P) headquarters in 1996.<\/p>\n
The five had been recognized as the worst rights-violations
\ncases by Soeharto's New Order, which had earned a reputation for
\nusing military support to suppress its political opponents.<\/p>\n
\"The Komnas HAM plenary meeting concluded that there were
\nwidespread and systematic attacks against a big number of
\ncivilians,\" he told a group called the Beware of Soeharto
\nCommittee (Tewas Soeharto).<\/p>\n
Billah, however, admitted that there was no guarantee that
\nKomnas HAM would set up an ad hoc team to investigate Soeharto's
\nalleged rights violations.<\/p>\n
\"I think there will be a lot of hot debate over this issue.
\nKomnas HAM has many members, each has a different position,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Komnas HAM is expected to meet next week to discuss the issue.<\/p>\n
Members of the state-sanctioned rights body have different
\nbackgrounds. Some are rights activists, others are former police
\nofficers, former military officers, lecturers and religious
\nfigures.<\/p>\n
Komnas HAM established the investigation team last year to
\nexamine possible rights abuses by Soeharto, who ruled the world's
\nfourth most-populated country up until May 1998.<\/p>\n
The team is led by Billah, another Komnas HAM member Achmad
\nAli, and lawyer Nursyahbani Katjasungkana. Team members include
\nhistorian Asvi Warman Adam, lawyer Luhut M. Pangaribuan, as well
\nas rights activists Munir, Karlina Supelli, and Ita F. Nadia.<\/p>\n
Billah said Komnas HAM may either decide to set up an ad hoc
\nteam for the preparation of prosecution or an investigative team
\nto examine the case only.<\/p>\n
\"It depends on the results of the meeting next week. But,
\nwhatever our recommendation is, it will be up to the government,
\nwhether they take the case to court or not,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Komnas HAM had earlier investigated possible rights abuses in
\nthe 1998 shooting of students of Trisakti university and
\nsubmitted the results of its investigation to the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office (AGO) for prosecution. The AGO, however, is yet
\nto instigate criminal proceedings.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has managed to bring to court rights cases in East
\nTimor and the Tanjung Priok massacre. Both the House and the
\ngovernment agreed to prosecute the East Timor rights abuses
\nfollowing international pressure. The prosecution ended with only
\nfive of 18 defendants convicted of the crimes. Most of those who
\nescaped convictions were military generals.<\/p>\n
The 82-year old Soeharto successfully escaped prosecution for
\nalleged graft in 2000, despite calls to eradicate corruption.
\nHis lawyers have managed to convince authorities not to try him
\ndue to his \"permanent brain damage\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/komnas-has-preliminary-evidence-against-soeharto-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}