'Five dead, 74 missing in July 27 riots'

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights announced the long awaited results of its probe into the July 27 riots in the capital, saying that five people died, 149 were injured and 74 are still missing.

Commission officials said yesterday that the findings were still provisional and more input from the public would be accepted until it publishes its final report in a week or two.

"We decided to announced the provisional findings today because people keep asking why the commission has taken so long to come out with the results," Baharuddin Lopa, the commission's secretary-general told a packed press conference.

He said the provisional report aims at helping put an end to the conflicting reports on the number of fatalities, injuries and disappearances.

The commission started its investigation on July 28, a day after the riots triggered by the violent takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters.

The raid on the party office involved supporters of new PDI boss Soerjadi who ousted Megawati Soekarnoputri in a government- sanctioned congress in June.

The military had earlier reported that four people died in the incident that prompted the authorities to clamp down on activists they suspect of inciting the rioting.

Commission officials said they obtained their data on the deaths and injuries mostly from hospital sources and cross- checking with witnesses.

They refused to explain the circumstances of the deaths, injuries and disappearances, but stressed that they were not pressured by a third party.

"We did not focus our investigation on when, how and why they died, went missing or were injured. We mainly relied on documented data from hospitals," said commission member Soegiri.

On Aug. 29, commission officials met with senior government and military officials, including Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman and Chief of the Armed Forces Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid.

The commission identified those dead as Sariwan, 40, Uju bin Asep, 31, Asmayadi Saleh, 19, Suganda Siagian, 21, and Slamet, 52. Lopa said none of the dead was a PDI activist.

Lopa added that the commission's investigators will cross- check the data on the 74 missing people with reports from witnesses and people who claimed to have lost relatives.

He said that the Soerjadi camp has refused to submit to the commission the list of about 800 of his supporters who invaded the party headquarters. (16)