Zacky: TNI had 'contingency plan' for East Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The former military intelligence chief said on
\nTuesday the Indonesian Military (TNI) prepared contingency and
\noperational plans in anticipation of the outcome of the Aug. 30
\nself-determination ballot in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Speaking after two hours of questioning by the government-
\nsanctioned Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations in
\nEast Timor (KPP HAM), Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim said TNI had
\neven predicted that violence would erupt after the ballot.<\/p>\n
"We knew long beforehand that whatever happened, there would
\nbe feelings of discontent. Should the proautonomy side win,
\nproindependence supporters wouldn't be satisfied.<\/p>\n
"TNI headquarters therefore prepared a contingency plan, while
\nthe Udayana military commander (Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri) made an
\noperational plan," Zacky, who was a security adviser to the
\nIndonesian Task Force for the Implementation of the Popular
\nConsultation in East Timor, said.<\/p>\n
Zacky said anticipating violence was necessary because
\nproindependence supporters had "more than adequate weaponry and
\ntheir communications system was more modern than TNI's".<\/p>\n
"They got supplies and logistics that were flown in by
\nunidentified helicopters," Zacky said, adding that "some (of the
\nsupplies) were from Australia".<\/p>\n
Zacky said TNI had expected the results of the ballot to be
\ncloser than the 78.5 percent landslide victory for independence.<\/p>\n
However, he refused to discuss the military's contingency
\nplan. "I am not in a position to answer that question because
\nthat comes under the authority of TNI Headquarters."<\/p>\n
TNI has been accused of involvement in the campaign of terror
\nand violence in East Timor by prointegration militias.<\/p>\n
Zacky however denied TNI and prointegration militias were
\nsolely responsible for the violence in the territory, saying
\nproindependence supporters were also involved in the mayhem.<\/p>\n
He also denied there was a systematic campaign of terror and
\ndestruction in East Timor following the ballot. "Burning did
\noccur there, but I don't think that was systematic. What happened
\nthere was part of the culture of the people who ran amok, so that
\nwas an emotional outburst."<\/p>\n
Zacky was the eighth general questioned by KPP HAM in the past
\ntwo weeks over the military's alleged involvement in the post-
\nballot violence in East Timor.<\/p>\n
KPP HAM is expected to question the former head of the
\nRestoration Operation Command in East Timor, Maj. Gen. Kiki
\nSyahnakri, the former East Timor military commander, Col. M. Noer
\nMuis, and former foreign minister Ali Alatas on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The inquiry was established in September by then president
\nB.J. Habibie after the government rejected calls for an
\ninternational inquiry to explore the possibility of establishing
\na war crimes tribunal for Indonesian Military top brass.(byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/zacky-tni-had-contingency-plan-for-east-timor-1447893297",
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