Gus Dur sticks to his guns on Wiranto's position in Cabinet

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)