A promise neglected

A promise neglected

Not long after he was installed as President, B.J. Habibie
promised to have all the events surrounding the May 1998 riots
thoroughly investigated. A similar pledge was made by Armed
Forces commander Gen. Wiranto. The government also set up a fact-
finding team consisting of a number of independent citizens.

There was hope the government would be serious in dealing with
the subject. Various other political events, however, arose to
overtake the matter. Unrest erupted in a number of areas and has
remained unresolved to this day. In the meantime, two other
crucial events are approaching: the general election in June and
the election of a new president during the General Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly.

This string of events has pushed last May's riots, including
the fatal shooting of the Trisakti students, into the background.
There is the impression that all this is seen by some as a
blessing in disguise -- something which could, hopefully, wipe
out the tracks which might reveal who was behind the May 1998
riots.

This is a most dangerous tendency. It is not inconceivable
that employing such a "scorched earth" policy to pass over
troublesome situations could turn into a permanent pattern in our
history. The problem in this particular case is not just the
total material damage inflicted or the number of lives lost. More
than that, at stake is the public's trust in the government's
ability to ensure that such atrocious acts of terror as those
which occurred in May last year will never again be repeated.

Because of this -- and without minimizing the importance of
all the violence which occurred afterwards -- it is important
that the dark episodes of May 1998 be immediately and thoroughly
investigated. In fact, even without having made their promises,
B.J. Habibie and Wiranto have an obligation to do so.

-- Republika, Jakarta