Rights body told to prove its findings<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto challenged the Commission on
\nHuman Rights yesterday to prove its report that up to 74 people
\nwere missing after the July 27 riots.<\/p>\n
\"The number of people missing that the commission reported was
\nenormous. The government is very surprised,\" the President was
\nquoted as saying by Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said President Soeharto asked that the commission
\nsupport its findings, on both deaths and disappearances, with
\nevidence that \"makes sense,\" such as names, addresses and when
\nthey disappeared.<\/p>\n
The government has said that only four people died and 28 were
\ninjured in the incident. It has never made mention of people
\nmissing after the day-long rioting, which caused a material loss
\nof over Rp 200 billion (US$85 million).<\/p>\n
\"The incredibly big difference (between the government and the
\ncommission's figures) can spur misunderstanding among the people
\nand it's 'unhealthy' for the resolution of questions related to
\nthe July 27 affair,\" Moerdiono said.<\/p>\n
Takeover<\/p>\n
The riots were triggered by the violent takeover of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters by supporters of
\nnew party leader Soerjadi, who was elected in a government-
\nsanctioned congress in Medan in June.<\/p>\n
Ousted PDI leader Megawati Soekarnoputri's supporters, who
\nlost the headquarters to their rivals under Soerjadi, have
\nclaimed that the number of people unaccounted for reached 154.<\/p>\n
Commission members said last week the findings were
\nprovisional and they would continue to receive input from the
\npublic until they announce the final version in a week or two.<\/p>\n
They said their main sources were documented data at hospitals
\nthat they cross-checked with witnesses' accounts. The commission
\nprovisionally released the findings in response to a flood of
\npublic inquiries.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said the government appreciated the commission's
\nfindings, so long as it is able to prove its credibility. He
\npledged that the government would not interfere in its affairs.<\/p>\n
He also reminded the commission that it obtained its funding
\nfrom the government, which also provided it with an office.<\/p>\n
On Aug. 29, commission activists met with senior government
\nand military officials, including Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman and Armed Forces
\nChief for Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid. The
\nofficials asked the commission to release findings that would
\nclear up the issue.<\/p>\n
On a separate occasion, commission member Bambang Soeharto
\nreiterated that the findings were provisional and open for
\nrevision based on credible input from witnesses.<\/p>\n
\"We have no intention to invent stories,\" said Bambang, who is
\nin charge of preparing the report on the commission's findings.<\/p>\n
He said the commission aims at helping the public obtain a
\nmore credible picture of what happened on July 27.<\/p>\n
\"We believe there wasn't a single bullet fired by the
\nauthorities ... We released the findings to help soothe the
\npublic, who were worried,\" he said. \"We do not say that everyone
\nof those reported missing by their families had a connection with
\nthe riots.\" (pan)<\/p>",
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