Ad hoc trials still awaiting induction of prosecutors

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

There is still no indication of when the long-awaited trial for the human rights abuse cases in East Timor in 1999 and the Tandjung Priok shooting incident in 1984 will start, despite readiness from the newly installed ad hoc human rights judges.

The case files are still in the hands of the state prosecutors and there is no way that they can be filed with the court until the 36 career and non-career prosecutors, appointed by the Ad Hoc Human Rights Court, are sworn in and given a chance to create indictments from the files.

Attorney General M.A. Rachman said on Friday that his office would inaugurate the prosecutors, including many active state prosecutors, military prosecutors and former state and military prosecutors, possibly by next week. He added that they were more than ready to start work.

"We finished the case files last year. Our task now is only to inaugurate the 36 prosecutors by next week. The next step is to submit the 12 indictments gradually to the court -- three at a time," Rachman told reporters after installing Muljohardjo as the new head of the Jakarta Prosecutors' Office.

The trial for the East Timor rights violation cases, where many high-ranking military officials are included among the 19 suspects, constitutes a major event that the people and the international community will be paying close attention to, as it is considered a litmus test for justice and democracy in Indonesia. In its development, the establishment of the rights tribunal has been delayed several times over the past two years.

Chief Justice Bagir Manan expected the trial to commence on Feb. 15 as the judges were already available and the venue for the trials at the Central Jakarta District Court compound had been inaugurated on Thursday. But again, he said, it would be up to the readiness of the Attorney General's Office.

Rachman, who was also a leader of the ad hoc team of investigators on the East Timor mayhem, assured the public that the rights prosecutors were well-trained.

"This will be the first prosecution on extraordinary crimes against humanity. But we are prepared and hopefully we can handle this well," Rachman added.