Gus Dur criticizes House conclusion on shootings

Gus Dur criticizes House conclusion on shootings

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid shared the public's
disappointment on Tuesday over the conclusions of the House of
Representatives (DPR) on the Trisakti and Semanggi fatal shooting
incidents in which 30 youths, mostly students, were killed.

The House's conclusion that the incidents were merely an
"ordinary human rights violation" was a politically motivated
finding, presidential chief spokesman Wimar Witoelar quoted the
President as saying.

"The cases could not be described as pure crimes. It is proper
to suspect there is a political dimension behind the incidents,"
Wimar quoted the President as saying during a media briefing at
Bina Graha presidential office.

The President also noted the incident at the House on Monday
where Sumarsih, mother of a victim of the first Semanggi killing
in 1998, threw eggs at the members of the special committee after
the closing of the House's plenary session that heard the
committee's report.

"The President is concerned with the result of the committee
of Trisakti, Semanggi I and Semanggi II and the throwing of eggs
by Ibu Sumarsih," the spokesman of the President said.

Relatives of the victims, students and human rights activists,
were outraged when the House failed on Monday to satisfy their
demands to declare the three incidents gross human rights
violations and to establish an ad hoc court to prosecute the
suspects in the incidents.

They also protested the committee's recommendation to try the
civilian suspects at the district court, and military officer
suspects at a military tribunal.

In May 1998, riot police allegedly shot dead four Trisakti
students during a peaceful demonstration around the university
compound. The killings triggered nationwide protests and forced
president Soeharto to end his 32-year rule.

Under then president B.J. Habibie's administration, security
members also killed 16 people at the Semanggi cloverleaf in
October 1998. One month before Abdurrahman's election as
president in October 1999, 10 others were killed during a
demonstration against Habibie.

Habibie declared the four Trisakti students reform heroes but
did little to find their killers. Former military chief Gen.
(ret.) Wiranto protested his innocence in the three tragedies.

"Hopefully our struggles to defend human rights will not
perish (with the committee's finding)," Wimar quoted Abdurrahman
as saying.

Separately, Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (Kontras) secretary Usman Hamid deplored the House's
conclusion and described it as a victory for the military and the
police in covering up their past crimes against humanity.

Usman also said the House had betrayed the decree of the
People's Consultative Assembly that mandated the enforcement of
law and protection of human rights.

"The DPR has become the political whipping boy of TNI and the
police by completely ignoring people's demands for justice," said
Usman.

Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI)
chairman Hendardi, also blasted the conclusions on the three
fatal incidents.

"They (the legislators) deserve to be called the preservers of
impunity who perpetuate the policies of the New Order in
protecting violators of the law," Hendardi said in a statement.
(prb)