Amien might sue 'Indonesia's Pinochet'

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)