Johny quizzed over role in East Timor violence

Johny quizzed over role in East Timor violence

JAKARTA (JP): Former Army deputy chief of staff Lt. Gen. Johny
Lumintang was questioned at the Attorney General's Office on
Thursday over his alleged role in last year's East Timor mayhem.

In a media conference following the four-hour session, Johny,
who is now the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas)
governor, said the questioning focused on a telegram he sent to
chief of the Denpasar-based Udayana Military Command, Maj. Gen.
Amir Damiri, prior to the self-determination ballot on Aug. 30.

Johny said the wire that he signed, dated May 5, contained an
instruction to the local military to immediately evacuate its
personnel in East Timor and their families in case of chaos.

"It was aimed at anticipating any chaotic incidents which
could occur if the majority of voters were in favor of the second
option," Johny said, referring to Jakarta's letting go of East
Timor if its wide-ranging autonomy offer was rejected.

Johny said at the worst the rejection of Indonesia's autonomy
offer could lead to "a civil war", but he would not disclose if
there were any indications of it occurring.

Violence and destruction wracked East Timor after an
overwhelming rejection of the autonomy option.

The government-sanctioned Commission of Inquiry into Human
Rights Violations (KPP HAM) in East Timor confirmed the strong
link between the military and militias, who were blamed for most
of the violence in the former Portuguese colony, and that there
was proof of efforts to conceal and destroy the evidence.

Johny is among 21 military officers and civilian officials
facing questioning over East Timor debacle.

Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said on Thursday that former
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto was on the
list of people to be summoned. Marzuki said the questioning of
Wiranto could take place sometime next week. (01)