ABRI says error made in Liquisa
ABRI says error made in Liquisa
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) admitted yesterday that some of its soldiers had made a mistake when they killed six civilians who were members of an East Timor rebel group in the Liquisa regency last month.
Announcing the findings of its own team of investigators, ABRI's Information Center said in a statement that "the team found there was a violation of procedures during the military operation conducted by an ABRI patrol team from the Liquisa Military District in the Gariana complex".
"The findings of the fact-finding team will be followed up by a Military Honors Council which will be formed by the Army in the near future," the statement said.
In connection with the findings, ABRI Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung was quoted as saying he would "firmly punish ABRI members who are found guilty".
"The ABRI chief also called on all soldiers who are working in East Timor to be consistent in carrying out their tasks; to continue to promote close relations with the people; but to never hesitate to act as long as the action is within procedures."
The statement also said that the six people killed during a raid in Gariana by the patrol team on Jan. 12 had been "civilian members of an East Timorese GPK".
"GPK", or peace-disturbing band, is the military shorthand for Fretilin, an armed group which has been waging a guerrilla war for a separate East Timorese state.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. R. Hartono said yesterday he had decided on the makeup of the 36-member council, which he calls the Officers' Honors Council.
He said the council would consist of no less than 20 senior officers of the ranks of brigadier and major general. The council will be led by the new Army inspector general, whose name has not yet been announced.
The outgoing inspector general, Maj. Gen. F.X. Soedjasmin, will soon be appointed the Army's deputy chief of staff to replace Lt. Gen. Surjadi.
Chronology
In a separate announcement, the ABRI Information Center gave a chronology of events leading up to the incident, based on the investigation of the fact finding team lead by Brig. Gen. Sumarna T. of the ABRI Inspectorate General.
It said that for the past several months the security team in Liquisa had been observing the movements, into and out of the regency, of several long-haired people whom it believed to be separatists.
On Jan. 8, the local security team received a tip about the presence of 12 armed separatists. On Jan. 9, the team received a report that some 45 members of an anti-integration were resting at the house of the Gariana village head.
On the evening of Jan. 10, the military sent a platoon of 32 patrol officers, led by First Lieutenant Jeremias Kase, to Gariana. They were aided by two local guides.
On the morning of Jan. 11, there was an armed clash in Gariana. Following this contact, the patrol team confiscated several documents, which later led troops to arrest four local people who were "strongly suspected" of being active members of a clandestine movement.
These four men were then used by the patrol team to lead them to rebel hideouts.
On Jan. 12, the security team, guided by the four men, raided four places, but the first three turned out to be empty.
On the fourth raid, in a village called Fabo, about seven kilometers from Gariana, there was an armed contact.
The security team formed three layers, the first to raid, the second to give cover, and the third to seal any escape routes.
Two rebel members in the house were shot dead during the raid.
The four other members who had acted as guides, meanwhile, tried to flee, and were shot dead during the attempt.
A member of the raid team, Private First Class Custudio Bario, received injuries to his chest and lower back from a spear.
The six movement members who were killed were all buried in Liquisa, the information center reported.
According to the statement, the ABRI fact finding team ascertained that:
"The information about the clandestine activities of the movement was correct.
"The steps taken by the district command were appropriate and in accordance with procedures and within its authority.
"The six civilians who were killed were all members of the movement (two were full members on the movement and four were members of the clandestine network).
"There are indications of violations of standard procedures during the raid."
ABRI made the announcement as the National Commission on Human Rights, which is also investigating the incident, sent back its team to East Timor to verify some of the evidence gathered previously.
The commission is expected to announce its findings next week.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Hartono told reporters yesterday that the honorary council would get down to business as soon as possible. He declined to predict how long it would take to complete its work and come up with a set of recommendations.
"It could be one, two or three weeks, or even 30 days. It will complete its task," he said.
The last time the Army formed a similar council was in 1991 in the wake of the incident in Dili in which 50 East Timorese protesters were killed in clashes with troops.
The council, which found that troopers had acted out of accordance with procedures, later recommended punishment for 16 soldiers, including two generals. (rms/emb)