Kontras doubts ABRI resolve in probe
JAKARTA (JP): The coordinator of a leading non-governmental organization investigating the torture and abductions of political activists doubts the Armed Forces (ABRI) will truly lift the shroud covering the disappearances.
The coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Munir, yesterday questioned whether ABRI would be willing to reveal the extent of its units' involvement since it could deleteriously impact its sociopolitical role.
"This abduction case will probably remain unsettled. They will be localized," Munir told The Jakarta Post here yesterday.
He cited what he described as ABRI's attempt to "localize" and limit the problem in that it was not expanding the circle of people currently being investigated.
So far ABRI has laid blame on members belonging to the Army's elite Special Force (Kopassus).
Ten soldiers will be court-martialled and the recently established Officers Honor Council has identified former Kopassus chiefs Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto and Maj. Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono as parties that had either given the instructions for the abductions or were aware of their issuance.
Munir said he "would be very surprised" if military investigators later summoned former Jakarta Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, former Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata and former National Police chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo. He believed they should also be held responsible since many of the abductions and detentions were in Jakarta.
"There is an attempt ... to limit the number of officers who must be punished," Munir suggested.
Sjafrie, Hamami Nata and Dibyo, all former adjutants of former president Soeharto, were recently moved from their posts in what ABRI claimed was a routine tour of duty.
Kontras said at least 21 people had been abducted in the run- up to the presidential election last March. Nine people have reappeared, but 12 others are still missing and Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto has denied any knowledge of their whereabouts.
Munir insisted no military tribunal should be held until all of the missing activists reappeared, as it would not be legally feasible to bring the officers to another trial for the same case should further evidence be found later on.
The chief of the honor council, Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, said Monday the abductions took place because of Prabowo's own interpretation of an order to "monitor" the activists' moves.
Wiranto, however, said yesterday Prabowo had been given an instruction by a superior to take security measures to safeguard the presidential election in March.
There already is speculation that Prabowo, former president Soeharto's son-in-law, will likely be made the most senior officer blamed.
Kontras led the way in the search for the missing activists long before the government even acknowledged that the abductions occurred.
Their work drew public attention and pressure to unveil the abductions which eventually led to the formation of a military team to investigate the cases after the resignation of former president Soeharto in May.
Yesterday, Munir pointed out that it would be difficult for the Officers Honor Council to reveal more than the possible involvement of Kopassus officers since its primary purpose was to question the involvement of Prabowo, Muchdi and former chief of Kopassus intelligence operations Col. Chairawan.
To truly investigate the involvement of other officers in other units, the council would have to make a recommendation to Armed Forces Chief Gen. Wiranto to set up another council. (prb)