More evidence needed to prosecute Prabowo
JAKARTA (JP): National Military Chief Maj. Gen. Syamsu Djalal said on Saturday that investigators were still looking for further evidence to prosecute former Army Special Force (Kopassus) chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto for his involvement in the abductions of political activists.
"Prabowo has admitted his involvement in the abductions, as quoted by Army Chief Gen. Subagyo, and (abduction) is a criminal act," Syamsu was quoted by Antara news agency as saying in Pontianak, West Kalimantan.
Syamsu, the newly installed deputy attorney general for intelligence, was visiting the province to meet local officials of the attorney general's office.
Subagyo led a seven-member Officers Honor Council in August formed to question Prabowo and two other Kopassus officers over their involvement in the abductions. The Armed Forces had announced in July the suspected involvement of Kopassus members in the abductions.
Before the council, Prabowo admitted involvement in the abductions of nine political activists who have resurfaced.
Syamsu did not say precisely when Prabowo would be court- martialled.
The independent Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has said that at least 24 activists have gone missing since April last year. Nine returned after several months, relating details of the abductions and torture suffered during their detention. Another was found dead in May and the rest remain unaccounted for.
Minister of Defense and Security/ABRI Commander Gen. Wiranto discharged Prabowo and removed two senior Kopassus officers from active duty in August for involvement in the abductions of political activists. Eleven other members of Kopassus are reportedly facing court-martial.
Kontras' coordinator Munir has said that no military tribunal should be held until the fate of all of the missing activists was know because it would be legally infeasible to try the officers for the same case if further evidence was found later on.
Wiranto said in August the military did not know the whereabouts of the activists and promised to keep searching for them.
Meanwhile, 16 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Sumatra accused two oil and gas companies in Aceh of providing facilities to the military during its operation to suppress the separatist movement in the province in the past decade.
In a statement made available to The Jakarta Post, the NGOs, including Walhi, the Indonesian Environmental Forum, Kontras Lhokseumawe and Aceh NGOs Forum, demanded that the companies apologize to and compensate victims of alleged military atrocities.
The National Commission on Human Rights said in August that military committed many serious human rights abuses, including the killings of more than 780 people, during its operation in the country's northernmost province. (byg)