Amien might sue 'Indonesia's Pinochet'

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Amien Rais said on Saturday he was ready to face the law suit filed against him by former president Soeharto, whom he likened to former Chilean dictator Pinochet, and even threatened a counter lawsuit.

Amien, speaking after being installed as a professor of politics at Gadjah Mada University, said if Soeharto was serious, "I will also sue him, mainly for crimes against humanity in Indonesia."

"I will use international links to sue him as the Pinochet of Indonesia," Amien added. He said earlier he would request leave of absence from the state-run university in order to concentrate on his party, as required in the new law governing civil servants.

Activists have also said Soeharto should be charged with human rights violations.

Soeharto's lawyer Muhammad Assegaf on Friday disclosed in Surabaya, East Java, that Soeharto plans to file an action against Amien, sociologist George Yunus Aditjondro and political observer Christianto Wibisono, for defaming him and his family.

Assegaf said Soeharto was declaring his plan to sue his critics because he had yet to be proved guilty of corruption, collusion and nepotism.

"Pak Harto can no longer stand their defamations," Assegaf said.

Assegaf said he had told Soeharto that he could not act as his lawyer in lawsuits involving Amien, because Assegaf is on the advisory board of the National Mandate Party.

Meanwhile former deputy chief justice Adi Andojo Soetjipto said in Semarang that cleansing the courts of the "mafia" was of utmost importance before any effort is made to bring Soeharto to court.

"If not, he would likely walk free," Antara reported.

It is too difficult to investigate Soeharto with the current condition of the courts, he said.

Since he had spoken out against shortcomings in the Supreme Court a few years ago, there has been no progress, he said. (23/prb)