14 soldiers to be tried over Ngabang shooting
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)