House members seek clemency for political inmates

House members seek clemency for political inmates

JAKARTA (JP): Two members of the House of Representatives
urged yesterday the government to approve the requests for
clemency from three political prisoners, who have been
incarcerated for nearly 30 years.

During a hearing with Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman, the
House members, V.B. da Costa and K.H. Syamsuri Badawi, argued
that the request for clemency should be granted on humanitarian
grounds.

"As a civilized nation, we must be able to forget their past
mistakes," V.B. da Costa of the Indonesian Democratic Party
faction, said.

Syamsuri, from the United Development Party faction, said the
government should approve their appeals if they really had atoned
for their past mistakes. "Islam teaches us to give forgiveness to
those who admit their mistakes," he said.

The government could find out that the three political
prisoners have changed their political outlook and that they have
become religious, he added.

The three political prisoners -- Subandrio, Omar Dhani and
Latief Cakraningrat -- were all convicted by the court in the
1960s for their role in the 1965 communist-back putsch. They were
all sentenced to death, but President Soeharto has since commuted
the sentences of Subandrio and Omar Dhani to life imprisonment.
Latief is, technically, still on death row.

The three men have been encouraged by Minister Oetojo Oesman
to apply for a special clemency from President Soeharto. However,
the minister has repeatedly stressed that the final decision
would have to come from the head of state.

Talks concerning the special clemency surfaced amid calls from
some politicians that the government make reconciliation moves
with some of its opponents, particularly political prisoners, as
the nation celebrates its 50th independence anniversary this
year.

As part of the anniversary, the government is considering
giving special pardons to some 24,000 prisoners this year.

Yesterday, Oetojo told the hearing with the House's Commission
III that Soeharto is expected to make a ruling on the clemency
application before Independence Day on Aug. 17.

After the hearing, he told reporters that he has submitted his
report on the attitude and conduct of the three prisoners,
accompanying the letters requesting clemency, to President
Soeharto.

The minister and Chief Justice Soerjono have also presented
some "humanitarian" factors which would be contemplated by the
President in considering the request, he said. Considerations
given by those who support and those who oppose the clemency have
also been laid out to the President, he added.

Soebandrio, now 80 years old, was deputy prime minister to
President Sukarno in the 1960s. Omar Dhani, 71, was
minister/chief of staff of the Air Force. Latief, in his 70s, was
a division commander of the Jakarta military command. (imn)