More to be grilled over July 27, 1996 incident

JAKARTA (JP): National Police spokesman Sr. Supt. Timbul Sianturi said on Wednesday that the police would soon question more former top government and civilian figures over the July 27, 1996 incident.

"Police will soon question those who attended a meeting prior to the July 27, 1996 incident," Timbul told reporters at National Police Headquarters.

He said that the police would also question those who had been responsible for the holding of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) congress in Medan, North Sumatra, in 1996, which ousted the elected chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri. Megawati is the incumbent Vice President.

Timbul, however, declined to reveal the names of the people who are going to be grilled over the case.

"We'll announce their names later," he said.

On July 19, 1996, a meeting was held which was attended by several military and police officers, and top government officials at the residence of then president Soeharto on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta where the former president gave an implicit order to halt the free speech forums which were taking place on a daily basis at the PDI's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, also in Central Jakarta.

The meeting was attended by then chief of the Jakarta Military Command Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso, then National Police chief Gen. (ret) Dibyo Widodo, then Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) chief Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung, then Army Chief of Staff Gen. (ret) R. Hartono, then ABRI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Soeyono, then Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Hamami Nata, then ABRI chief of sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid and then Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.

Yogie is the only person who attended the meeting and who has yet to be questioned over the case.

It has also been reported that Yogie was the one who initiated the PDI's Medan congress.

Earlier reports also said that another meeting was held prior to the 1996 incident by several cabinet ministers at the time, including then Minister of Information Harmoko, then Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman, then Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat, and Yogie himself.

A source close to the investigation said that Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Indra Rukmana, better known as Mbak Tutut, also participated in the meetings.

Harmoko was questioned as a witness over the case at National Police Headquarters on Monday. Police, however, refused to comment further about Harmoko's questioning.

The party's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro was used by party executives and supporters to stage free speech forums against the Soeharto administration until a mob, backed by ABRI elements, violently attacked the headquarters.

The action, which involved supporters of a PDI splinter group, led by Soerjadi, left five dead -- according to the official record -- with 23 others reportedly still missing.

The attack triggered massive unrest in Central Jakarta. (jaw)