Akbar urges military top brass to resign

JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung said on Monday that Indonesian Military (TNI) top brass found to be involved in the East Timor debacle should resign.

Akbar said if they were nonactive from the government or military structure, it would help ease the legal proceedings of the human rights violations in the former Indonesian province.

"It's better for those who are on the list to be nonactive until further investigation," Akbar said.

He was commenting on the disclosure of the result of a four- month investigation into atrocities in East Timor following the Aug. 30 self-determination ballot. The Inquiry Commission into Human Rights Abuses (KPP HAM) in East Timor named several high- ranking military officers, including former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto, as those responsible for the mayhem.

Wiranto is now the coordinating minister for political and seecurity affairs.

Akbar said an immediate investigation by the Attorney General's Office should follow according to existing procedures.

However, he called on the public to presume the generals are innocent until the court's decision can be heard.

Deputy House Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar shared Akbar's view, saying temporary suspension would reflect the military officers' moral responsibility for their failure to stop the violence in the former Portuguese territory, where over 260,000 people fled from in terror.

People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Deputy Speaker Hari Sabarno regretted KPP HAM's announcement, saying the report should be handed in to the Attorney General's Office before it was published.

"We should let the case be handled according to law," Hari, a legislator from the military, said.

Meanwhile, chairman of the House's Commission II for legal affairs Amin Aryoso said KPP HAM's report could not be considered slanderous only because it dealt with some people's names.

"The report does not charge people. It just alleges their involvement in the human rights violations," he said.

Amin said the commission would soon discuss a new draft bill on a human rights court.

"We hope we can endorse the bill as soon as it is proposed by the government," he said.

He said the House would reject the draft bill in lieu of a law on a human rights court which was proposed by the government of former president B.J. Habibie because it could not cover human rights violations in the past.

Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Ihza Mahendra said upon submitting the draft law in December that the government wished the House to reject it so it could propose a new bill.

Amin said Commission II members were split on whether to allow the law to try human rights abuses which happened over the past 10 years, 32 years or since 1945.

Amin also ruled out the possibility of bringing alleged perpetrators of human rights violations to the international tribunal, citing Indonesia's dignity was at stake.

Meanwhile, legal expert Satjipto Rahardjo said on Monday that TNI should take the report wisely and professionally because it was not final yet.

"The names announced can not be immediately implicated in crimes against humanity," Satjipto of the Semarang-based Diponegoro University said.

The former member of the National Commission on Human Rights suggested that TNI set up an investigation team to counter allegations made by KPP HAM.

However, he expressed confidence that the method KPP HAM used to draw up the report was of international standards.

"So from now on, TNI should understand that they are not untouchable by the law," he said. (har/rms/jun)