Probe into Semanggi incident criticized<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The independent Commission for Missing Persons
\nand Victims of Violence (Kontras) lashed out on Monday at the
\nprobe into the shooting of protesters at the Semanggi cloverleaf
\nin Nov. 13, which killed 14, mostly students.<\/p>\n
The last of the 14, Engkus Kusnadi, a 19-year-old student of
\narchitecture, died after 10 days in coma.<\/p>\n
Kontras has charged that the Armed Forces (ABRI) was too slow
\nand that the investigation into the incident was \"fraught with
\nuncertainties\".<\/p>\n
\"The recent statement by the military police resulted from
\ntheir minimum investigative efforts and we therefore doubt their
\nresolve,\" the commission stated.<\/p>\n
It was referring to last week's statement by military police
\nchief Maj. Gen. Djasri M. to the effect that there has been no
\nprogress in the investigation into the shootings.<\/p>\n
He said that the military was still unable to determine who
\nopened fire on the protesters.<\/p>\n
The Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto told the House of
\nRepresentatives in November that the 5.56-millimeter bullet found
\nin a victim's body did not belong to the armory of any military
\nunit. The military has said that the bullet divided into three
\npieces in the victim's body.<\/p>\n
Kontras however said that Wiranto's statement was not \"the end
\nof the story\" and that the military is still responsible for
\nresolving the case.<\/p>\n
\"As of yet we see no reason for the military to stop the
\ninvestigation,\" Kontras said.<\/p>\n
Kontras also criticized the military neglect of proper
\nwitness questioning procedures. No prior summons had been issued.<\/p>\n
\"Witnesses have been reluctant to answer military police
\nrequests for questioning as there was no official clarification
\nof the nature of the questioning,\" Kontras said.<\/p>\n
The shooting occurred when thousands of students staging
\nrallies in front of the private Atma Jaya University to protest
\nthe Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly from
\nNov. 10 to Nov. 13 clashed with security personnel blocking their
\nway to the legislature compound in Senayan, about 300 meters west
\nof the cloverleaf.<\/p>\n
Kontras on behalf of the parents of six students shot dead
\nreiterated on Monday that the Nov. 13 shootings should not remain
\na mystery like the shooting deaths of the four Trisakti
\nUniversity students in May.<\/p>\n
The Trisakti shootings triggered savage riots in the capital
\nwhich killed at least 1,200 people and led to the downfall of
\nformer president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Answering questions from the foreign press on the shootings,
\nMinister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono said on Nov.
\n20 that \"there are rogue elements within the military who are
\ninterested in further discrediting the current defense minister
\nGen. Wiranto\".<\/p>\n
Juwono, who had just received students at his office at the
\ntime, however, did not elaborate further on who 'these rogue
\nelements' were.<\/p>\n
He would only say that attempts to discredit Wiranto were part
\nof \"the power struggle up in the top echelons of the government\".<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights set up their own team
\nto investigate the shootings shortly after the incident.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the rights body, Marzuki Darusman, said at that
\ntime that the team would complement the government's explanation
\nof the shootings, pointing out that more information is required
\nto establish responsibility for the tragedy. (byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/probe-into-semanggi-incident-criticized-1447893297",
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