Rights body to question generals over 1998 riots<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights announced on Wednesday
\nthat gross human rights violations took place during the May 1998
\nviolence in Jakarta in which more than 1,200 people were
\nreportedly killed.<\/p>\n
The commission's two-month investigation into the May 13 and
\n14 upheaval concluded that the violence was \"widespread and
\nsystematic\". At least 46 eye witnesses were questioned during the
\nprobe.<\/p>\n
It was a second attempt to uphold justice in the case since a
\ngovernment-sanctioned team's findings of violence during the
\nriots were left unresolved by the law enforcers in 1999.<\/p>\n
Reading out the team's findings on Wednesday, team member Eny
\nSuprapto said that \"the riots were planned, instead of
\nspontaneous, as evidenced by similar patterns.\"<\/p>\n
\"There were groups of provocateurs who destroyed gates or
\ndoors of buildings to lead mobs in to loot shops and markets.
\nThese provocateurs did not get involved in the robberies, but
\ninstead, they left the area soon after the gates or doors were
\nopened,\" Eny said.<\/p>\n
Local residents did not know the provocateurs, who were sent
\nto the areas by various vehicles, Eny added.<\/p>\n
\"But the most questionable part is that there were no security
\nofficers, military or police ... in the areas where the riots
\noccurred,\" Eny said.<\/p>\n
The two-day nightmare followed the shooting death of four
\nTrisakti University students who were taking part in nationwide
\nrallies to demand the resignation of then president Soeharto. The
\nlong-time ruler eventually stepped down on May 21.<\/p>\n
The commission concluded that the upheaval had resulted in
\nmurders, torture, harassment, sexual abuse\/mass rapes, racial
\nattacks, illegal arrests and destruction of property.<\/p>\n
\"We obtained several reports (of mass rapes). But, we found
\nnobody who would testify,\" said Solahuddin Wahid, a rights
\ncommission member who led the ad hoc team.<\/p>\n
The commission hopes to question several security officials in
\ncharge of maintaining order during the riots, including former
\nmilitary chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto, former Jakarta Military
\ncommander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, former Army's Strategic
\nReserves Command chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto and former
\nTNI Intelligence Agency chief Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim.<\/p>\n
Solahuddin said that the commission would write a letter to
\nthe Indonesia Military Chief to order his subordinates to answer
\nthe summonses.<\/p>\n
\"We will also ask the district court chief to issue an order
\nto summon the officials by force, if necessary, because we'd like
\nto finish this case by July,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the team's results could land the perpetrators
\nin a human rights tribunal, he replied by saying, \"our duty is to
\ncomplete this investigation so it can be passed on to the
\nAttorney General's Office for prosecution.\"<\/p>\n
Solahuddin said that the commission would also present their
\nrecommendations to the House of Representatives, which will
\ndecide if the cases should be prosecuted or not.<\/p>\n
In 1999, the government of president B.J. Habibie established
\na joint team to investigate the May riots and, if possible,
\nreveal the perpetrators and masterminds of the riots.<\/p>\n
The 18-member team, comprising military officers, government
\nofficials, rights body members and non-governmental organization
\nactivists, presented its report to the justice ministry, the
\noffice of the state minister of women's affairs, the security and
\ndefense ministry, the foreign ministry and the Attorney General's
\nOffice.<\/p>\n
The team confirmed that at least 66 women, mostly Chinese-
\nIndonesians, were raped during the riots, but none of the
\nperpetrators have been taken to court.<\/p>",
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