Gus Dur sticks to his guns on Wiranto's position in Cabinet
NEW DELHI (JP): Gen. Wiranto got a vote of confidence from President Abdurrahman Wahid on Tuesday who described him as a reformist figure despite reiterating his intention to suspend the former military chief.
Extending the conciliatory tone he has adopted over the past few days, Abdurrahman tempered his comments about Wiranto's possible exit with strong words of praise for the coordinating minister for political affairs and security.
The President said he felt that it was best for Wiranto to resign from the Cabinet, especially if he was found guilty in court of human rights abuses, but stressed that he would not be sacked.
"The word 'sack' is too heavy. Anyway I will ask him to quit," Abdurrahman replied to a question following his arrival in India for a two-day state visit.
Questions over Wiranto's fate have dominated the whole of the President's overseas trip.
He described Wiranto as a respectable and reformist general who had played a significant role during the reform period.
"He encouraged the democratization process. I know this," he added.
The decision to temporarily dismiss Wiranto from the Cabinet was a reflection of his deep respect of Wiranto, Abdurrahman said. He repeated his intention to pardon Wiranto if a court found him guilty.
Wiranto has been implicated in a government-sanctioned inquiry as being responsible for the violence in East Timor following the Aug. 30 ballot. The inquiry has recommended that the Attorney General's Office launch an investigation against him and other military officers and government officials.
The looming showdown between Abdurrahman and Wiranto has fueled speculation in Jakarta of a possible military takeover. But in the past two days Abdurrahman has refrained from "attacking" Wiranto. Instead his comments have reflected a sense of trust and friendship with the four-star general.
When queried on the continuing talk of a military takeover, Abdurrahman brushed aside these suggestions.
"I have always been able to sleep well during this trip," he replied.
In a newspaper interview on Tuesday, Wiranto himself vehemently denied the allegations against him.
Guilt
In an interview with Singapore's Straits Times he said he would not accept personal or legal responsibility for any crimes committed by his troops.
Wiranto cited the example of the 1968 massacre of 500 Vietnamese civilians by American troops at the village of My Lai.
"When one of the U.S. officers in Vietnam during the Vietnam War killed a number of innocent villagers, the My Lai incident, I don't think the commander-in-chief of U.S. troops in Vietnam or the Joint Chiefs of Staff were asked to be legally responsible," he said.
Wiranto insisted that responsibility should stop with the immediate platoon or company commanders.
The newspaper reported that Wiranto left open the possibility of resigning if Abdurrahman demands it on his return home on Sunday, but he seemed hesitant, explaining that "in this country if a person resigns from office, it can be interpreted as an admission of guilt and admission of wrongdoing.
"I have performed my duty for my country to the best of my ability. I have never committed any kind of unlawful activity, and I am proud of my record," Wiranto said.
Wiranto also attacked the government inquiry panel which implicated him, saying they were antimilitary and biased.
He challenged the panel to find a "single evidence against me concerning unlawful activity".
And he said he had documentary proof he did everything possible to ensure troops respected the rights of East Timorese, including their desire for independence.
"Trust me, I always tried to create peace in all of Indonesia," he asserted. (prb/01)