Court postpones trial against Soeharto regime

Court postpones trial against Soeharto regime

JAKARTA (JP): The first trial of a lawsuit filed by the
Democratic People's Party (PRD) against Soeharto regime was
postponed on Thursday after only four lawyers showed up.

The trial, which is being heard at the Central Jakarta
District, will continue on Aug. 31.

In total, 13 people, mostly Cabinet ministers and generals who
served under the Soeharto administration, are on trial.

Moreover, two of the lawyers present, those claiming to
represent former Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of
sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid and former
information minister Harmoko, failed to show their letters of
appointment to the judge.

Only those representing the former National Police chief Gen.
(ret) Dibyo Widodo and former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief Gen.
(ret) Feisal Tanjung were ready to defend their clients.

The other nine defendants -- former president Soeharto, former
Jakarta Military commander Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso, former East
Java Military commander Maj. Gen. (ret) Imam Utomo, former
minister of home affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Moch. Yogie S. Memet,
former Army chief of staff Gen. (ret) R. Hartono, former ABRI
Intelligence Service (BIA) chief Maj. Gen. (ret) Syamsir Siregar,
former BIA director Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, former
attorney general Singgih and former justice minister Oetoyo
Oesman -- all failed to show up at the court, as did their
lawyers, for unknown reasons.

PRD chairman Budiman Soedjatmiko said the absence of the nine
defendants or their lawyers was not due to an oversight.

"It is just their way to stall the case," Budiman said.

"But they should know that we will never stop pursuing
justice. We want to say that no one who has committed crimes in
the past can escape the law," Budiman added.

PRD filed the Rp 5.5 billion lawsuit against Soeharto and
several state and military leaders on July 5 in connection with
the July 27, 1996, riots on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta.

Several PRD activists were allegedly kidnapped and tortured by
the military after being accused of instigating the violence at
the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters.

Budiman was sentenced to 13 years in jail in 1997 but was
released in July last year as part of an amnesty granted by
former president B.J. Habibie.

PRD is being represented by 34 lawyers, including Bambang
Widjojanto, H.J.C. Princen, Munir and Nursyahbani Katjasungkana.

In its indictment, PRD demanded the court seize Soeharto's
residence on Jl. Cendana in Menteng, Central Jakarta. (jaw)