Gus Dur supports calls for Trisakti adhoc court

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)