14 soldiers to be tried over Ngabang shooting

JAKARTA (JP): Fourteen soldiers suspected of involvement in the shooting of West Kalimantan demonstrators last month will soon be court-martialled, the Pontianak military chief Col. Zainuri Hasyim said.

"There won't be any cover-up of the facts. Those who are found guilty will be punished in accordance with the law," Zainuri was quoted by Antara as saying in Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan, yesterday.

The trial will also be open to the public so that everybody can witness that justice is being upheld, he said.

When investigations over the shooting, which led to the death of one person, started, 26 soldiers were arrested. Twelve were later released.

The Ngabang case started with the alleged abduction and torture of a resident named Jining on April 5 by 10 Armed Forces (ABRI) soldiers following a minor road accident.

Two days later, over 2,000 angry residents stormed onto the streets after hearing a rumor that Jining had died in the hands of his abductors.

A regional military chief, Maj. Gen. Namoeri Anom, said recently that the troops acted in self-defense after the mob attacked the Ngabang military headquarters. One protester was shot dead and four others injured during the incident.

Some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have accused the military of committing human rights violations.

Zainuri said that the military has complied with Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung's instruction that it take stern action against those involved in the shooting.

Zainuri said he does not object to the National Commission on Human Rights' reported plan to probe the case. "We'll be ready. We will provide them with the necessary data," he said.

He pointed out that there should be enough proof of the military's openness in the fact that the soldiers will be tried in an open court.

Some NGOs recently urged the human rights commission to investigate the shooting by visiting those injured in the incident. Activists claimed that 15 demonstrators were injured when soldiers opened fire on the crowd.

Baharuddin Lopa, the commission's secretary-general, has promised to hold an investigation into the case and said that the commission planned to meet with military officials in West Kalimantan to hear their version of events. (31)