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)