ABRI's responsibility

One of the delicate problems that the ABRI (Indonesian Armed Forces) leadership faces at the moment is how to carry out -- with the greatest measure of responsibility -- President Habibie's order to uncover the facts behind allegations that certain (unnamed) parties were behind the riots, the looting and the arson that occurred in Jakarta on May 13 and May 14.

Another question relating to ABRI's responsibilities is how it will fulfill its promise to uncover the truth behind the shooting dead of four Trisakti University students that sparked off those riots.

Another issue that has aroused sharp censorious reactions from the public, the National Commission on Human Rights and the international community concerns the case of the disappeared activists. In the course of developments, accounts that have been published in the media appear to indicate a link connecting these three issues. The National Commission on Human Rights even said the acts were all committed by an organized and trained group of people.

A little of the mystery behind the cases was revealed to the public after President Habibie recently disclosed the progress that has been made in the investigations into those cases to the rights commission. "We must give ABRI a chance to consolidate itself internally," explained Habibie, as cited by the Commission's deputy chairman, Marzuki Darusman.

-- Republika, Jakarta