Ex-Golkar boss grilled over July 27 incident

Ex-Golkar boss grilled over July 27 incident

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar's former secretary general Ary Mardjono
was questioned on Monday by a joint military-police team over the
violent takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
headquarters on July 27, 1996.

Col. Hendardji, Director of Investigation at military police
headquarters said that Ary had been summoned for questioning
since the 60-year-old man had been allegedly involved in several
meetings which planned the attack prior to the incident.

"We have several witnesses who said that he had attended those
meetings," Hendardji told The Jakarta Post when contacted via
phone later in the afternoon.

A mob, backed by police and military elements, violently
attacked the headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta
which at that time was occupied by followers of PDI's ousted
chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, now Vice President and head
of the PDI Perjuangan (Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle).

For days, Megawati's followers and supporters flocked to the
headquarters prior to the attack to hold free-speech forums,
condemning the regime of Soeharto, who was in power at that time.

The violent action, which involved supporters of a PDI
splinter group, led by Soerjadi, left five dead -- according to
the official record -- with 23 others reportedly still missing.

The attack triggered massive unrest in Central Jakarta.

As reported earlier, several meetings are believed to have
been held prior to the incident for a planned takeover of the PDI
headquarters.

On July 19, 1996, a meeting was reportedly held at the
residence of then president Soeharto on Jl. Cendana in Central
Jakarta.

The meeting which was attended by several high-ranking
military and police officers, and top government officials was
said to be used by Soeharto to give an implicit order to halt the
free speech forums at the PDI headquarters.

Another meeting was reportedly held by several cabinet
ministers at the time, including then Minister of Information
Harmoko, then Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman, then Minister of
Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat, and Yogie.

Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Indra Rukmana,
better known as Mbak Tutut, who was Golkar's chairwoman at the
time also allegedly participated in the meetings.

Separately while contacted by phone Ary told the Post that he
did not have any knowledge about the meetings held by several
members of ABRI and government officials prior to the incident.

"I told (the investigators during questioning) that I had no
knowledge at all about such a meeting," Ary said.

Ary said that he was involved in several meetings held by
Golkar prior to the bloody takeover but none of them had been
used to talk about a plan to takeover the headquarters.

"We only discussed our legislative candidates because the
meetings were held close to the time to select our
representatives (for the upcoming general election)," Ary who
claimed to be no longer involved in Golkar said.(jaw)