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)