Akbar urges military top brass to resign

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)