Rights inquiry to question Gen. Wiranto on Friday<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government-sanctioned commission of inquiry
\ninto human rights abuses in East Timor (KPP HAM) will question
\nformer military chief Gen. Wiranto on Friday about violence in
\nthe territory after the Aug. 30 self-determination referendum
\nthere, a military officer said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Chief of the military prosecutor's office Maj. Gen. Timor P.
\nManurung told The Jakarta Post Wiranto, who is now coordinating
\nminister for political affairs and security, \"seems to be able to
\nanswer the summons from KPP HAM at two p.m. on Friday\".<\/p>\n
\"According to the new schedule from KPP HAM, he (Wiranto) was
\nactually going to be questioned next Tuesday, but he said the
\nsooner the better,\" Timor said.<\/p>\n
Wiranto failed to appear before KPP HAM for questioning on
\nWednesday, saying he needed more time to prepare his testimony.<\/p>\n
Wiranto is one of several senior military officers due to be
\nquestioned by the inquiry in the coming weeks. All of the
\nofficers were connected to or responsible for overseeing security
\nin East Timor following the Aug. 30 ballot.<\/p>\n
The other officers due for questioning are Lt. Gen. Johny
\nLumintang, Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri,
\nMaj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Brig. Gen. Tono Suratman, Brig.
\nGen. Glen Kairupan and police Brig. Gen. Timbul Silaen.<\/p>\n
Timor was speaking after accompanying the former commander of
\nthe Tribuana Intelligence Task Force in East Timor, Lt. Col.
\nYayat Sudrajat from the Army's Special Force (Kopassus), to his
\nquestioning by KPP HAM on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Timor later said Johny, who was the Army's deputy chief of
\nstaff at the time the self-determination referendum was held in
\nEast Timor, would also be questioned late Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Johny is actually scheduled to be questioned on Monday,
\nbut he said that he will leave for the Christmas holiday on
\nFriday, so the schedule has been moved forward,\" Timor said.<\/p>\n
He added that he hoped the questioning of the other generals
\nwould be completed by Dec. 31.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Eurico Guterres, leader of the Aitarak
\npro-Indonesia militia group admitted his group and several other
\nprointegration militias engaged in acts of destruction, but
\ncontended they were not acting on orders from the military.<\/p>\n
Eurico defended the actions, saying many people were angry at
\nlosing the August ballot and spontaneously went on a rampage.<\/p>\n
He did not detail to what extent the militias were responsible
\nfor the violence and damage in East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"We burned down our own houses because we were angry the
\nproindependence supporters won the ballot unfairly,\" he told
\njournalists. \"But we were never trained by the military.\"<\/p>\n
The militias have been accused of wanton violence and
\ndestruction after the East Timorese overwhelmingly rejected
\nwide-ranging autonomy under the Indonesian government, a result
\nwhich was tantamount to a vote for independence.<\/p>\n
UN officials and KPP HAM members have accused the military of
\nestablishing and equipping the militias and then turning a blind
\neye to their violence.<\/p>\n
Eurico, who failed to appear before KPP HAM on Wednesday,
\nclaimed he was never summoned by the commission.<\/p>\n
KPP HAM secretary Asmara Nababan later confirmed Eurico was
\nnot directly summoned, but noted that the commission had asked
\nMinister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono to ensure the militia leader
\nwould appear before the panel to answer questions. (byg\/emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-inquiry-to-question-gen-wiranto-on-friday-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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