Abdurrahman approves questioning of generals

JAKARTA (JP): The President has issued an approval for a joint Indonesian Military/National Police investigative team to question several high-ranking military officers allegedly involved in the 1996 attack on the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters, a senior officer said on Friday.

"We have received the President's written permission to question the generals," Maj. Gen. Djasrie Marin, deputy chairman of the team, announced after the team's meeting at the National Police Headquarters in South Jakarta.

"The permission was dated July 26, 2000," he said. The attack on the PDI headquarters happened on July 27, 1996.

Djasrie, who is also chief of the National Military Police Headquarters, said the team would question several retired generals who were allegedly involved in the July 1996 attack, including Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso, the incumbent governor of Jakarta, and Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid, the former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of sociopolitical affairs.

"We'll question Let. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso and Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid as witnesses. But we haven't set a schedule for the questioning yet," he said. He declined to disclose the other generals and their legal status.

Before the establishment of the team early this year, a similar investigation of several civilians and military and police officers was conducted by the National Police Headquarters.

The results of the police investigation have named 13 people as suspects, including former PDI chairman Soerjadi, secretary- general Buttu R. Hutapea and youth leader Yorrys Th. Raweyai.

The military and police officers who were questioned by the police investigators included former ABRI chief Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung, Syarwan, Sutiyoso, former ABRI chief of general affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Soeyono and former ABRI chief of the intelligence body Maj. Gen. (ret) Samsir Siregar.

Djasrie said the joint team would not be quick to label the generals as suspects.

"We are focusing on efforts to gather information from all parties related to the case.

"We don't want to name them as suspects, when in fact they were not involved in the attack," the two-star general said.

"When we get all the evidence and testimonies, we'll consider mentioning names."

Excluding generals, Djasri said, there were many other witnesses to be summoned for questioning.

"We still have many other people to question, including civilians, military and police personnel.

"In an effort to accelerate the investigation, the interrogators will not be burdened with other things except to focus on the case," he said.

A group of supporters of PDI's splinter faction, reportedly backed by elements in ABRI, raided and took over the party headquarters from the loyalists of ousted PDI leader Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The attack triggered mass unrest throughout the Central Jakarta area, killing at least five people and injuring 49 others. Meanwhile, 23 other people are reportedly still missing. (asa)