Gen. Wiranto apologizes for journos' beating
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto early Thursday visited 12 people injured in a clash between security personnel and demonstrating students at two different hospitals.
The 12 were one photojournalist and two students beaten up by soldiers, and nine troops who were hit by a car driven by demonstrating student Anas Alamudi.
Wiranto apologized to the journalists through the executives of their respective media. "This is really an unwanted incident and ABRI (Armed Forces) hope cooperation between the two media and the Armed Forces remains good," he said.
Later in the day, Wiranto met with a number of journalists covering the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly and again apologized. He also pledged to punish soldiers who beat the journalists reporting the student protest.
"They were guilty... there will be action taken against the soldiers," Wiranto said, adding a probe will be conducted into the incident to seek out the involved soldiers.
At least three journalists were hurt and rushed to a military hospital after they were beaten up by soldiers chasing student protesters on a main avenue in Central Jakarta late on Wednesday.
The beating was sparked by another incident on Jl. Imam Bonjol in which a jeep at the vanguard of some 2,000 protesters who intended to march to the Assembly building crashed into troops blocking their advance. Nine soldiers were taken to hospital.
As reported earlier the nine soldiers were Second Lt. Nyarimun, Second Sgt. Jamadi, Second Corp. Tugiono, First Sgt. Sanusi, Chief Soldier Muchtar, Second Soldier Sugito, Second soldier Wawan Rustandi, platoon commander Second Lt. Paryono and chief of Menteng sub-district Military Capt. Eko Natalius.
The driver, University of Indonesia student Anas Alamudi, is now in city police custody. He was interrogated for hours Wednesday night and insisted that he lost control of the car because the soldiers smashed the vehicle.
The incident had drawn many protests from various quarters, especially associations of journalists and photojournalists, and the National Commission on Human Rights.
Commission members Sugiri and Albert Hasibuan agreed that the beating was unjustified for whatever reason it was done. They asked the defense minister to account for the incident and court- martial the suspected troops.
Assembly deputy speaker Hari Sabarno was quoted by Antara saying the Assembly regretted the incident and urged an investigation.
Wiranto was accompanied on his visits to the injured by the chief of the Jakarta Military Command, Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman, and ABRI spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif.
Upon his arrival at 1 a.m. sharp, Wiranto was escorted to 18- year-old Tuti Nurbaiti's room in St. Carolus Hospital. Journalists were not allowed to enter during Wiranto's 15-minute visit. "I've met the girls' parents and I've asked them to be strong because this incident was something beyond our expectations," he later told reporters.
The visit surprised fellow students who were keeping a vigil beside the beds of Tuti and Novianti, who is also being treated in the same hospital.
"It's surprising that Wiranto dared to come here and see us," student Zulhamdi said.
Spontaneously, as Wiranto was about to get into his car, Zulhamdi stopped him, saying, "Sir, if you can't resolve this incident, you'd better resign," he told the stunned general.
At Gatot Subroto Army Hospital, the injured soldiers were roused by the nurses on duty, who appeared flustered by the general's visit. Wiranto approached each of the soldiers in turn and spoke gently, asking them how they felt and inquiring after their families.
Tugiono, who was the worst hurt in the incident, told the general he had one infant daughter and said he had been operated on for a broken leg. (emf/ivy)