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)