'All Soeharto family members should be tried'

'All Soeharto family members should be tried'

Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra became the first member of the
once-untouchable Cendana family to face the prospect of spending
a long time behind bars. The Central Jakarta District Court
sentenced him to 15 years in jail for the murder of Supreme Court
Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita on July 26 last year, illegal
possession of firearms and fleeing justice. What do people have
to say about the verdict? Can it erase the tarnished image of the
corrupt judiciary?

Rismanto, 40, a gorengan (fried snack) vendor in Blok M area,
South Jakarta. He has been living in the city for 20 years.

"It's good to hear that Tommy has been convicted of his
crimes. He deserves that. Most people, including me, were
wondering if the courts would convict him as they usually favor
the rich and powerful.

But I don't think the sentence term is long enough for his
crimes. He did terrible things and the law could not touch him
while his father was president. He must be sentenced to life at
least.

Hopefully, Tommy and his family will learn that he is just the
same as anyone else before the law. A man must be responsible for
his actions. However, he didn't have the guts to appear before
the hearing on Friday. He is not a gentleman, he is a chicken."

Atin, 30, who has been a newspaper man for six years. He lives
in Slipi, West Jakarta and is single.

"Fifteen years is not enough for a criminal like Tommy! I am
terribly disappointed with the court's decision. He should have
received a longer sentence or even the death penalty.

Despite the guilty verdict, it does not mean that the
judiciary has improved. The system is bad and the judges are
still far from being respected.

I'm afraid the judicial process was engineered. I wonder if
the judges had committed a crime or malpractice.

I am of the opinion that the whole Soeharto family should be
brought to court. Let the public pass judgment. Soeharto upset
people with his harmful actions when he ruled the country.

If all of them were brought to court, this would set a (good)
example of law enforcement, I think.

If they stood trial and received the most severe possible
punishment, street criminals would stop committing crimes."

Evi, 20, a waitress at a food stall in Palmerah, Central
Jakarta. She comes from Magelang, Central Java and has been
living in Grogol, West Jakarta for two years.

"The sentence handed down to Tommy should have been more
severe. It's too lenient for his ill behavior.

Tommy and the rest of the Cendana family are evil. They
exploited poor people in the country for their own welfare. How
can he only get 15 years in jail? It's unfair.

He must be very happy for getting only 15 years in jail,
because he deserves the death penalty or a life sentence.

Personally, it was not a satisfying court decision for
ordinary people like me."