Gen. Wiranto denies any foreknowledge of East Timor

Gen. Wiranto denies any foreknowledge of East Timor

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): Gen. (ret.) Wiranto brushed
aside here on Monday foreign news reports that he knew before
hand of the terror tactics which were to be unleashed in East
Timor in September last year.

"Who says?" remarked Wiranto when asked by The Jakarta Post on
Monday.

"I question the validity of such a remark," he added.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Australian Ambassador to
Jakarta John McCarthy suggesting that as the then Commander of
the Indonesian Military (TNI) Wiranto was privy to such
knowledge.

The Herald quoted McCarthy as saying that "the sort of
activity that was taking place in East Timor in the lead up to
the ballot could not have taken place without the broad knowledge
of the senior commanders in that organization".

Nevertheless, McCarthy was also quoted as saying that "they
might not have known the details or were not being kept up to
date on everything that was being done".

The Indonesian Attorney General's Office has named 23 people
as suspects in the East Timor human rights case. While several
senior ranking military officers were named, Wiranto was not.

Wiranto, who was here on Monday to promote his debut musical
album, maintained that in the case of East Timor he has always
remained faithful and cooperative to the legal process being
pursued by prosecutors.

"Up to now I have continued to follow the process
accordingly," he remarked.

"I believe we should remain fair. But if there is somebody who
has a different view, a different interpretation, than he should
submit it formally... if he has something worth submitting,"
Wiranto added.

After engaging in rhetoric that Indonesia should not be goaded
by foreign intervention, Wiranto said that he would any response
to the Indonesian government.

"I believe we should leave it to the Indonesian government to
take a stand against these issues and slanderous allegations
which have no basis". (27)