Komnas HAM fails to question policemen

JAKARTA: A team set up by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to investigate the abduction of prodemocracy activists between 1997 and 1998 failed to question four middle- ranking police officers on Monday.

Team member Koesparmono Irsan said the four officers, identified as Aris Munandar, Hadimulya, Tobing and Aneke, did not appear for questioning even after being ordered to by National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.

According to Koesparmono, National Police Headquarters did not known the whereabouts of the officers because they rotated between different posts, but promised to locate them and order them to appear for questioning.

He said the four officers may have transported some of the abduction victims after they were released by military officers.

The team was also scheduled to question on Monday Col. Chairawan, who currently heads the Lilawangsa Military Command overseeing northern and eastern Aceh, but the former antiterror commander of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) also failed to appear.

The Komnas HAS team also will resummon Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, a former Kopassus commander, and Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, the current Ministry of Defense secretary-general, on Wednesday, despite orders from the Indonesian Military that officers not cooperate with the team. --JP