Military to set up honorary council over abductions

Military to set up honorary council over abductions

JAKARTA (JP): An honorary military council led by a four-star
general will soon be assembled to further investigate a string of
abductions of activists, which the Armed Forces alleges was
committed by Army special force (Kopassus) members.

Although little detail has been provided on members of the
council or the scope of its investigation, it appears Army chief
Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo will most likely be its head.

"The preparations have been completed and it will be announced
soon by the Minister of Defense and Security Affairs/Armed Forces
Chief (Gen. Wiranto)," Armed Forces Chief of General Affairs Lt.
Gen. Fachrul Razi told reporters here yesterday.

Facrul was speaking after attending the unveiling of the fact-
finding team on the May riots, held at the Ministry of Justice in
Kuningan, South Jakarta.

According to Fachrul, military regulations stipulate the
council must be composed of seven members and be led by a high
ranking official who holds a higher rank than the suspect.

When pressed whether the council would be led by Subagyo,
Fachrul replied: "Just guess yourself. We do not have many
(active) four-star generals... In Indonesia there are only two
four-star generals (from the Army) and the first (general) must
be responsible to the other one."

Subagyo and Wiranto are the only active Army four-star
generals.

Fachrul also declined comment when queried if it could be
assumed that one of the suspects in the abduction case was a
three-star general.

Subagyo himself would only confirm that the council would be
set up in a matter of days, ducking questions about his possible
leadership.

"What is clear is that the people who are going to investigate
the case should be more senior (than the suspect)."

On Wednesday, the military fact-finding team added another
officer to the list of suspects, bringing to 11 the number of
elite Kopassus members.

The team has refused to reveal the names or most senior rank
of the suspects.

Maj. Gen. Syamsu Djalal, commander of the National Military
Police who heads the team, last week said the investigation and
testimony from the suspects could lead to the interrogation of
former Kopassus commanders who were in charge at the time of the
abductions, most of which occurred in the run-up to the People's
Consultative Assembly General Session in March.

Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto headed the force for nearly two
years until March 29 this year. He was replaced by Maj. Gen
Muchdi Purwopranjono, who served in the post until May 25.

The Armed Forces has so far described the abductions as
procedural violations.

Leading human rights figures remain doubtful on the
effectiveness of the council in fully disclosing the mastermind
behind the abductions or ensuring effective punishment for those
responsible.

Bambang Widjojanto of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation said
the council would likely only impose disciplinary measures
against the perpetrators.

He said it would be difficult to produce an alternative
conclusion to the case since their superior, Wiranto, had already
interpreted it as a procedural violation.

His terminology has been strongly rejected by human rights
groups and some of those who were kidnapped and subsequently
released. They claim the abductions were premeditated and
systematic acts committed by a number of well-organized military
units.

Separately yesterday, Jakarta Military Command Chief of Staff
Brig. Gen. Sudi Silalahi said his command would fully assist the
fact-finding team in investigating the case.

Sudi made his remarks in response to Syamsu's statement on
Wednesday that the Jakarta Military Command, along with a number
of other military institutions which included the Armed Forces
Intelligence Agency, might have also been involved in the
"process" of the abductions.

"Let's wait for the investigation result. We will support the
investigation and we are open to being investigated," he said
after attending the 36th anniversary commemoration of the
command's seventh cavalry battalion at its headquarters in
Cijantung, East Jakarta. (byg/ivy)