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