Lopa buried with full honors in Kalibata cemetery
Lopa buried with full honors in Kalibata cemetery
JAKARTA (JP): The nation paid its last respects to Baharuddin
Lopa on Friday when he was buried with full honors at the
National Heroes Cemetery in Kalibata, South Jakarta.
President Abdurrahman Wahid, who led the ceremony, praised the
late Attorney General in his eulogy, saying that the nation
should posthumously award him the Bintang Mahaputra medal for his
services to the country.
"Giving him such a medal, however, is inadequate for what he
has done for the nation," the President said.
"Thank you, Pak Lopa, for all the good things you have done
for this country," the President, who was clearly shaken by the
sudden death of his chief justice officer, added.
He further stressed that Lopa's qualities as a low-profile,
honest and uncompromising law officer should be emulated by the
Attorney General's Office and other law enforcement agencies.
Lopa, 65, died in Riyadh on Tuesday of heart failure. He was
in Saudi Arabia to officially hand over his ambassadorial post,
where he had served before being called home in February to
become minister of justice and human rights, and then Attorney
General last month.
His untimely death comes at a time when the Attorney General's
Office was beginning graft investigations into several top
figures. Some observers, however, alleged that the probes were
politically motivated as they targeted some of embattled
President Abdurrahman's critics.
Lopa was buried at Kalibata near the graves of the former
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Abdul Haris Nasution and
former state oil and gas company Pertamina president Gen. Ibnu
Sutowo.
Hundreds of state officials, foreign envoys, staff from the
Attorney General's Office, military and police officials, along
with members of some non-governmental organizations, attended the
ceremony.
Apart from making a name for himself during his career at the
prosecutor's office, Lopa became a nationally recognized figure
for his work as secretary-general of the National Commission on
Human Rights (Komnas HAM) between 1992 and 1996.
Initially there was speculation concerning Lopa's sudden
death; however Minister of Justice and Human Rights Marsillam
Simanjuntak brushed aside such talk on Friday, saying medical
records showed nothing suspicious.
"All records show that Lopa died naturally. If there was
something wrong I believe the hospital would not have released
his remains. I know the procedure," Marsillam, who is also a
medical doctor, said after the funeral.
Meanwhile in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Lopa's home province,
mosques held prayers in tribute after Friday prayers.
Lopa's life was even used as a theme of Friday sermons at many
mosques. He was described as a good model for Muslims and
government officials.
Dozens of Hasanuddin University students hailing from Mandar,
Lopa's home town, said a sholat gaib (special prayer) at the
Mandala Monument area on Jl. Sudirman.
The students then took to the street, demanding that the
government continue Lopa's efforts to uphold the law.
(27/tso/bby)
JAKARTA (JP): The nation paid its last respects to Baharuddin
Lopa on Friday when he was buried with full honors at the
National Heroes Cemetery in Kalibata, South Jakarta.
President Abdurrahman Wahid, who led the ceremony, praised the
late Attorney General in his eulogy, saying that the nation
should posthumously award him the Bintang Mahaputra medal for his
services to the country.
"Giving him such a medal, however, is inadequate for what he
has done for the nation," the President said.
"Thank you, Pak Lopa, for all the good things you have done
for this country," the President, who was clearly shaken by the
sudden death of his chief justice officer, added.
He further stressed that Lopa's qualities as a low-profile,
honest and uncompromising law officer should be emulated by the
Attorney General's Office and other law enforcement agencies.
Lopa, 65, died in Riyadh on Tuesday of heart failure. He was
in Saudi Arabia to officially hand over his ambassadorial post,
where he had served before being called home in February to
become minister of justice and human rights, and then Attorney
General last month.
His untimely death comes at a time when the Attorney General's
Office was beginning graft investigations into several top
figures. Some observers, however, alleged that the probes were
politically motivated as they targeted some of embattled
President Abdurrahman's critics.
Lopa was buried at Kalibata near the graves of the former
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Abdul Haris Nasution and
former state oil and gas company Pertamina president Gen. Ibnu
Sutowo.
Hundreds of state officials, foreign envoys, staff from the
Attorney General's Office, military and police officials, along
with members of some non-governmental organizations, attended the
ceremony.
Apart from making a name for himself during his career at the
prosecutor's office, Lopa became a nationally recognized figure
for his work as secretary-general of the National Commission on
Human Rights (Komnas HAM) between 1992 and 1996.
Initially there was speculation concerning Lopa's sudden
death; however Minister of Justice and Human Rights Marsillam
Simanjuntak brushed aside such talk on Friday, saying medical
records showed nothing suspicious.
"All records show that Lopa died naturally. If there was
something wrong I believe the hospital would not have released
his remains. I know the procedure," Marsillam, who is also a
medical doctor, said after the funeral.
Meanwhile in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Lopa's home province,
mosques held prayers in tribute after Friday prayers.
Lopa's life was even used as a theme of Friday sermons at many
mosques. He was described as a good model for Muslims and
government officials.
Dozens of Hasanuddin University students hailing from Mandar,
Lopa's home town, said a sholat gaib (special prayer) at the
Mandala Monument area on Jl. Sudirman.
The students then took to the street, demanding that the
government continue Lopa's efforts to uphold the law.
(27/tso/bby)