Generals responsible for past rights abuses: Komnas
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.