Megawati loyalists want Feisal probed<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Loyalists of ousted Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri urged the military police
\nyesterday to question eight Armed Forces (ABRI) officers for
\ntheir alleged role in the forcible takeover of party headquarters
\nin July 1996.<\/p>\n
Represented by Team of Defense Lawyers for Indonesian
\nDemocracy (TPDI), they filed their petition with the chief of the
\nNational Military Police Corps, Maj. Gen. Syamsu Djalal.<\/p>\n
\"I cannot respond to your request immediately as I still need
\nto wait for and study the police report,\" Syamsu told the team.
\n\"After that, we'll need to coordinate with the police for
\ninvestigation.\"<\/p>\n
Syamsu also solicited further assistance, in the form of
\nevidence or testimony, from the lawyers in the investigation.<\/p>\n
Led by senior advocate Max Junus Lamuda, the team members said
\nthey wanted the military police to investigate then ABRI
\ncommander Gen. (ret.) Feisal Tanjung for his alleged involvement
\nin the takeover of PDI's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro No. 58 in
\nCentral Jakarta on July 27, 1996.<\/p>\n
Feisal, who is now coordinating minister for political affairs
\nand security, has denied any involvement.<\/p>\n
Other officials reported to the military police chief were
\nformer police chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo, former ABRI chief of
\nsociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, former city police
\nchief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata and former Jakarta military commander
\nMaj. Gen. Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
Also mentioned in the petition were former Central Jakarta
\nmilitary commander Lt. Col. Zul Effendi, former Central Jakarta
\nPolice chief Col. Aboebakar Nataprawira and Maj. R. Sunaryo of
\nthe Jakarta Mobile Brigade.<\/p>\n
The forcible takeover led to extended violence at the site and
\nmassive riots throughout Central Jakarta and neighboring East
\nJakarta. Five people were killed and another 23 are still
\nrecorded as missing.<\/p>\n
Lamuda said the team members went to the military police
\nbecause they had waited in vain for two years for the city police
\nto respond to their request for investigation into the takeover.<\/p>\n
Calls have grown for investigation into alleged involvement of
\ngovernment and ABRI officials in the incident.<\/p>\n
\"We have copies of Feisal Tanjung's statement that the
\ngovernment and ABRI would help Soerjadi take over the party
\nheadquarters from Megawati's supporters,\" Lamuda said.<\/p>\n
Megawati was expelled from the party's head and replaced by
\nSoerjadi in a government-backed congress a month before the
\ntakeover.<\/p>\n
In a separate development yesterday, political observer Rudini
\ncalled on the splintered PDI factions to settle their dispute
\nthrough a \"political approach\".<\/p>\n
\"In politics, there are no lifelong enemies. Today I am an
\nenemy of yours, but tomorrow I can be your friend,\" he told
\nreporters during the lunch break of a seminar on the National
\nPolice in Bandung.<\/p>\n
\"Both Megawati and Soerjadi must compromise, and take a 'take-
\nand-give' approach to settle the crisis.<\/p>\n
\"Should they prefer to go on with their legal battle, they
\nmust wait for the verdict of the Supreme Court,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rudini, former minister of home affairs, dismissed suggestions
\nof having two PDI factions, called PDI I and PDI II, saying that
\nit would be better for one faction to choose another
\nname. (imn\/43)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-loyalists-want-feisal-probed-1447893297",
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