Megawati loyalists want Feisal probed

Megawati loyalists want Feisal probed

JAKARTA (JP): Loyalists of ousted Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri urged the military police
yesterday to question eight Armed Forces (ABRI) officers for
their alleged role in the forcible takeover of party headquarters
in July 1996.

Represented by Team of Defense Lawyers for Indonesian
Democracy (TPDI), they filed their petition with the chief of the
National Military Police Corps, Maj. Gen. Syamsu Djalal.

"I cannot respond to your request immediately as I still need
to wait for and study the police report," Syamsu told the team.
"After that, we'll need to coordinate with the police for
investigation."

Syamsu also solicited further assistance, in the form of
evidence or testimony, from the lawyers in the investigation.

Led by senior advocate Max Junus Lamuda, the team members said
they wanted the military police to investigate then ABRI
commander Gen. (ret.) Feisal Tanjung for his alleged involvement
in the takeover of PDI's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro No. 58 in
Central Jakarta on July 27, 1996.

Feisal, who is now coordinating minister for political affairs
and security, has denied any involvement.

Other officials reported to the military police chief were
former police chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo, former ABRI chief of
sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, former city police
chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata and former Jakarta military commander
Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso.

Also mentioned in the petition were former Central Jakarta
military commander Lt. Col. Zul Effendi, former Central Jakarta
Police chief Col. Aboebakar Nataprawira and Maj. R. Sunaryo of
the Jakarta Mobile Brigade.

The forcible takeover led to extended violence at the site and
massive riots throughout Central Jakarta and neighboring East
Jakarta. Five people were killed and another 23 are still
recorded as missing.

Lamuda said the team members went to the military police
because they had waited in vain for two years for the city police
to respond to their request for investigation into the takeover.

Calls have grown for investigation into alleged involvement of
government and ABRI officials in the incident.

"We have copies of Feisal Tanjung's statement that the
government and ABRI would help Soerjadi take over the party
headquarters from Megawati's supporters," Lamuda said.

Megawati was expelled from the party's head and replaced by
Soerjadi in a government-backed congress a month before the
takeover.

In a separate development yesterday, political observer Rudini
called on the splintered PDI factions to settle their dispute
through a "political approach".

"In politics, there are no lifelong enemies. Today I am an
enemy of yours, but tomorrow I can be your friend," he told
reporters during the lunch break of a seminar on the National
Police in Bandung.

"Both Megawati and Soerjadi must compromise, and take a 'take-
and-give' approach to settle the crisis.

"Should they prefer to go on with their legal battle, they
must wait for the verdict of the Supreme Court," he said.

Rudini, former minister of home affairs, dismissed suggestions
of having two PDI factions, called PDI I and PDI II, saying that
it would be better for one faction to choose another
name. (imn/43)