Omar Dani speaks up<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former Air Force chief of staff Omar Dani
\nlaunched on Tuesday a book seeking to set the record straight
\nabout the Army's allegation of his role in the 1965 coup attempt,
\nan accusation which condemned him to jail for over 29 years.<\/p>\n
Tuhan, Pergunakanlah Hati, Pikiran dan Tanganku -- Pledoi Omar
\nDani (God, Use My Heart, Mind and Hands -- Omar Dani's Testimony)
\nwas written by Benedicta Soerojo dan JMV Soeparno based on Omar's
\ndefense statement which he read in court before he was sentenced
\nto death by the military court.<\/p>\n
His sentence was later commuted to life and he was pardoned by
\nSoeharto, the same man who put him in jail, in 1995.<\/p>\n
Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri (seen in picture above
\ntogether with Omar) was among the many dignitaries present at the
\nbook-launching ceremony at the Sudirman Hall in Jakarta. At the
\nceremony, Omar said he was a loyal supporter of President
\nSukarno, Megawati's father, who was toppled after the 1965
\nabortive coup.<\/p>\n
Omar, who turned 77 last week, was in charge of the Air Force
\nat the time of the coup which the Army blamed on the communists.
\nPleading his innocence, he said the accusations against him were
\nvicious slanders not only against him, but against the Air Force.<\/p>\n
His book is the latest of a series of local publications in
\nthe past two years disputing the official version of the 1965
\ncoup which stood unchallenged, at least in the open, during
\nSoeharto's tyrannical rule up until 1998.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/omar-dani-speaks-up-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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