Battle of wits continues over Wiranto's 1998 role
Battle of wits continues over Wiranto's 1998 role
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta
A former aide to Gen. (ret) Wiranto alleged on Wednesday that he
had been offered billions of rupiah and an ambassadorial post in
order to cancel his plan to publish a book detailing Wiranto's
role in the deployment of the Pamswakarsa militia in 1998.
"Wiranto's men came to offer me billions of rupiah and an
ambassadorial post in Britain if I canceled the launching of the
book," former Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief
Maj. Gen. Kivlan Zen told a press conference here.
However, Wiranto's top campaign strategist, Lt. Gen. (ret)
Suaidi Marasabessy, challenged Kivlan to disclose the names of
the men who attempted to bribe him.
"If he is telling the truth, why doesn't he disclose the names
of our men who tried to bribe him with money and a posting? He's
engaging here in politicking, isn't he?," Suaidi told The Jakarta
Post by phone.
Kivlan stressed that the launching of the book would go ahead
next week.
"I will launch the book next Thursday and won't be intimidated
even if Wiranto threatens to sue me for libel. Wiranto is lying
to the public when he says he is clear in the clear regarding the
establishment of the Pamswakarsa ... it was based on his order
that I went about setting up this civilian militia," Kivlan said.
Wiranto, who is contesting the presidential election for the
Golkar Party, has been linked to a number of human rights crimes
when he was Indonesian Military (TNI) chief.
"We are preparing legal efforts to settle the dispute. It is
just a matter of time," Marasabessy said.
According to Kivlan, his book entitled Hubungan Integrasi TNI-
AD dan Integrasi Bangsa Indonesia (Relationship between the
Indonesian Army and Indonesian National Integration) states that
a clear and unambiguous order was issued by Wiranto to Kivlan to
hire thousands of youths to block student protesters from
disrupting the Extraordinary Session of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) in November 1998.
Clashes erupted between the civilian militia, who were armed
with sharpened bamboos, and the students, which claimed at least
10 lives on both sides.
The MPR session endorsed the appointment of B.J. Habibie as
president, replacing Soeharto, who had stepped down in disgrace
six months earlier.
Wiranto himself was able to secure his position as military
chief, while Kivlan, who says he had been promised a regional
military command, was moved to a desk job.
To make things worse, Kivlan says he was left owing around Rp
5.4 billion (US$5.8 million) as Wiranto allegedly asked him to
fund the secret operation out his own pocket, promising to
reimburse him afterwards.
"I challenge him to sue me," Kivlan said.