Komnas pursues May 1998 rioters<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Those involved in the May 1998 riots may not run free much
\nlonger as the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)
\nand a group of non-governmental organizations have established
\nseparate teams to investigate the riots.<\/p>\n
Both aim to create pressure for the holding of ad-hoc trials
\nfor those responsible for the riots.<\/p>\n
Solahuddin Wahid, appointed to lead the Komnas HAM team, said
\non Monday the team would follow-up on the investigation carried
\nout by a joint fact finding team (TGPF) in 1998.<\/p>\n
Solahuddin, better known as Gus Solah, said that starting next
\nmonth, the team would update the facts ascertained by the TGPF to
\nconvince members of House of Representatives (DPR) to recommend
\nan ad hoc rights court be set up to try those responsible for the
\nriots.<\/p>\n
According to Article 43 of Law No. 26\/2000 on Human Rights
\nTribunals, a tribunal to try gross violations of human rights is
\nestablished based on a recommendation from the House and a
\npresidential decree.<\/p>\n
The new Komnas team, which was established last Thursday and
\nnamed the May 1998 Riots Study and Advocacy Team, would recruit
\n15 members. Ten of these members would be those who were involved
\nwith the TGPF.<\/p>\n
Since the TGPF first presented its findings, no efforts
\nofficial government efforts have been made to uncover those
\nbehind the riots.<\/p>\n
The TGPF investigation results, announced on Nov. 3, 1998,
\ndisclosed that several individuals or organizations were involved
\nin inciting the riot.<\/p>\n
They were well-trained individuals who disappeared after they
\nsucceeded in inciting the people to loot and burn stores and
\nhouses mostly belonging to Chinese Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the report also confirmed the occurrence of rapes
\nand sexual attacks, although the number of victims was lower than
\nclaimed previously by several NGOs in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The allegation that certain individuals in the armed forces
\ntook an active role in inciting the unrest was also mentioned in
\nthe report.<\/p>\n
With regard to the possible involvement of Let. Gen. (ret.)
\nPrabowo Subianto in the riot, the TGPF recommended that a meeting
\nat the headquarters of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command
\n(Kostrad) on May 14, 1998 be investigated.<\/p>\n
Besides the Komnas HAM probe, a number of non-governmental
\norganizations also established their own teams to investigate the
\nMay 1998 riots. The latest NGO team, established last week under
\nthe name of the May 1998 Riots Working Committee (KKTM) will have
\n16 members.<\/p>\n
Judilherry Justam, vice chairman of the KKTM, said it would
\ncomplement the work of the Komnas HAM team in terms of data
\nvalidation, lobbying legislators, molding public opinion, and
\norganizing mass rallies to demanding government and legislative
\ncommitment to the supremacy of law.<\/p>\n
\"On many occasions, the Attorney General's Office refuses the
\nfindings of gross violations of human rights recorded by Komnas
\nHAM on the grounds of lack of comprehensive evidence. Therefore,
\nwe will try to make the findings as trustworthy as possible,\" he
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
Judilherry was speaking on the sidelines of the announcement
\nof the new teams' missions on Monday.<\/p>\n
Both working teams have no structural relationship with each
\nother, but Gus Solah said that his team would accept all input
\nfrom outside sources, including from NGOs as part of civil
\nsociety.<\/p>\n
He said that his team would interview witnesses like the
\nvictims and their families, volunteers and other parties
\nconcerned with what transpired.<\/p>\n
\"There is come possibility that we will involve the military
\nin the interviews as it is the prime suspect in the riots,\" Gus
\nSolah said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Judilherry said that the biggest obstacle that
\nboth teams would face was political pressures from the suspect
\nindividuals or organizations.<\/p>\n
\"We can analyze such pressures in the cases of gross human
\nrights violations in Aceh and the murder of Papuan leader Theys
\nHiyo Eluay. What we need today is how to reveal the scenario
\nbehind the tragedy,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/komnas-pursues-may-1998-rioters-1447893297",
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