Critics charged with conspiracy

Critics charged with conspiracy

JAKARTA (JP): Former army general Kemal Idris, former Jakarta
governor Ali Sadikin and 10 other government critics would be
charged with conspiracy, police said Thursday.

National Police Deputy Chief Lt. Gen. Nana Permana was quoted
by Antara as saying in Semarang that dossiers on three of the
alleged conspirators have been submitted to the prosecutor's
office.

Nana, however, said that he did not remember the names of the
three.

The government has slapped travel bans on Kemal, Ali,
economist Sri Edi Swasono, (son-in-law of Indonesia founding
father Bung Hatta) and his brother Sri Bintang Pamungkas, pending
the results of an ongoing official investigation.

The four are barred from leaving the country by order of a
Nov. 23 decree issued by the Attorney General's Office.

The four men, along with about a dozen others, were questioned
by police last month in the wake of the Nov. 13 Black Friday
tragedy during which troops fired at demonstrators.

Police had said that these critics had been questioned under
Articles 107 and 110 of the Criminal Code on treason.

If convicted, they could face a maximum penalty of life
imprisonment.

The Armed Forces has blamed these dissident leaders for
inciting the students, and accused them of plotting to topple the
government of President B.J. Habibie.

Most of those questioned were signatories of a Nov. 12
communique which called for the establishment of a provisional
People's Consultative Assembly and a presidium which would serve
as a provisional government until next year's general election.

Bintang did not take part in the meeting which produced this
communique, but the government said that he had personally
addressed some of the student demonstrations, allegedly inciting
the students. (byg)