Generals responsible for past rights abuses: Komnas
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) appealed to all presidential and vice presidential candidates to carefully read its reports on human rights violations to prevent them from recurring.
Komnas HAM Chairman Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara said the reports clearly identified the gravity of the rights violations and who was thought to be responsible for the abuses. He stressed that it would be the job of the next government to follow up on their investigations.
"Our investigations into the Trisakti incident, the riots in May 1998 and the Semanggi I and II incidents in November 1998 and September 1999 indicated that the military authorities were responsible for those incidents, including Wiranto, Prabowo, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and others," Abdul Hakim told The Jakarta Post.
Gen. (ret) Wiranto, the Golkar Party presidential candidate, was the Indonesian Military chief, Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo was the chief of the Army's Strategic Reserve Command and Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin was the chief of the Jakarta military command when the May 1998 incidents took place.
"We do not mean to say they were the perpetrators of the incidents, but they have to be held accountable because as commanders of the security forces they failed to protect people," Abdul Hakim asserted.
He was commenting on a statement from Solahuddin Wahid, who announced publicly on Wednesday that the rights body had cleared his running mate Wiranto of violations.
Solahuddin led the Komnas HAM team in the investigation of the May riots before resigning recently to run with Wiranto. He attempted to subpoena the active and former military officers, but they ignored the summonses.
Abdul Hakim said the rights body's findings would remain intact and urged the Attorney General's Office to launch a formal investigation based on the commission's reports.
"Whoever governs the country, he or she has to finish what we started. If the current government fails to do it, then the next one has to get the job done," Abdul Hakim said.
He also called on all the candidates to refrain from stigmatizing rights campaigners by saying they lacked nationalism or were working for foreign interests.
"On the contrary, because of our nationalism, we promote human rights," he said.
Separately, Komnas HAM deputy chairperson Zoemrotin K. Susilo, said that Solahuddin's candidacy with Wiranto had nothing to do with the commission.
She refused, however, to comment on Solahuddin's statement in defense of Wiranto.
"It's his personal statement. We have nothing to do with it despite the fact that he once led the team to probe the May 1998 riots. Let the people decide," she said.
Wiranto has been fending off allegations of rights abuses by saying that they are only being brought up for the purposes of character assassination by his opponents.
A fact finding team set up by the government of B.J. Habibie announced on Nov. 3, 1998, that individuals within the armed forces took an active role in inciting the May riots and confirmed that there were cases of rape and sexual assault during those three days of chaos.
"The commission found indications (of Wiranto's involvement in the case). Therefore, we summoned him, but he did not show up. If he really considers himself innocent, he should answer the summons. It's about moral ethics," Zoemrotin said.