Gus Dur supports calls for Trisakti adhoc court

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid became on Wednesday the second head of state to pledge help to the families of the four Trisakti students killed during nationwide protests against then president Soeharto in May 1998.

While his successor, B.J. Habibie, called the slain students "reform heroes" and promised their parents, one month after their death, that he would seek full justice for their children, Abdurrahman promised to propose the establishment of an ad hoc court to investigate not only the tragedy but two other cases of violence against students.

"The executive branch (the government) has the right to set up the human rights court, so there is no problem," the President said in response to demands for the establishment of an ad hoc human rights court for the Trisakti killing and two other tragedies at Semanggi cloverleaf in South Jakarta in November 1998 and September 1999.

Accompanied by human rights advocates and social workers, including Karlina Leksono and Johnson Panjaitan, the families and relatives of the victims of the three incidents were received by the President at Merdeka Palace.

Abdurrahman lambasted the House of Representatives' (DPR's) conclusion on July 9 that there was no need to set up an ad hoc court for the cases because, it stated, no gross violation of human rights had been found in the tragedies.

Security forces allegedly shot dead four Trisakti students on May 12, 1998. Two days of violence and disorder in the form of rioting and looting followed the killings, before massive student rallies forced Soeharto to step down on May 21.

During the 17-month presidency of Habibie, who replaced Soeharto, it is alleged that riot troops fatally shot 16 people at the Semanggi cloverleaf on Oct. 13, 1998. On Sept. 24, 1999, 10 people were killed at the same place during a street protest against the House's approval of the state security bill.

"The cases must be reopened to enable us to know precisely who is guilty (for the killings)," the President told the relatives.

Six former Military top brass officials, including former Military chiefs Gen. (ret.) Feisal Tandjung and Gen. (ret.) Wiranto, have pleaded their innocence in the incidents.

"The DPR has functioned as a hiding place for problematic Military officers," Karlina said, after the meeting with the President.

The President's remark also came just nine days before the commemoration of another unsolved tragedy, on July 27, 1996, when at least a dozen of Megawati Soekarnoputri's supporters were reportedly killed during an allegedly government-backed takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

The case also remains unresolved, despite Megawati's current position as the country's second-most powerful leader.

Meanwhile, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Marsillam Simanjuntak expressed his doubts over the establishment of an ad hoc court for the cases of human rights violations.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with the Vice President at Merdeka Selatan Palace, the minister said the prior approval of the House was required before such a court could be established.

"The legal requirements present a problem, because an ad hoc court needs approval from the House, but the House has not given its support. It is very regrettable," Marsillam said. (dja/prb)