Officers in hospital attack, returnees from E. Timor: Erald

Officers in hospital attack, returnees from E. Timor: Erald

JAKARTA (JP): Preliminary results of a police investigation
into last week's attack at the health facility of Jakarta
Hospital in South Jakarta revealed the attackers were troops who
had just returned from a battle zone in East Timor.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Erald Dotulong said on
Thursday that the military officers who caused excessive damage
to a part of Jakarta Hospital were from troops posted in East
Timor, during the chaotic period after the Aug. 30 self-
determination ballot.

"Three days before the hospital attack, those officers had
just stepped foot in Jakarta. They came from a long and difficult
fight, controlling the dangerous situations in East Timor," Erald
told reporters at National Police headquarters.

"The attack, whatever the case, is still very wrong. Whatever
the reason, those officers were just undisciplined."

Frustrated military officers entered the hospital's four-story
administration building in the late evening of Wednesday last
week, broke the windows and doors and fired several gas canisters
into the basement, in search of suspected militant students
hiding on the premises.

A number of people were injured and dragged away, while four
rooms used as a kitchen, administration, central sterilization
for surgical equipment and a laundry were heavily damaged during
the attack, which has sparked anger from many people and
institutions.

MP business

Erald said the results of the police investigation, which
included the questioning of six of the hospital's staffers, would
soon be handed over to the military police.

"National Police Gen. Roesmanhadi issued orders today
(Thursday) that the case will soon be handed over to Military
Police Headquarters. Feel free to ask the General himself why the
transfer is necessary," Erald said.

He declined to confirm whether the troops were from the Army
Strategic Reserves Command's (Kostrad) 201 battalion, based in
Jakarta.

"I can't confirm whether that is true or not."

"I do remind you that this is a nation of law. With regard to
this case, even the city police chief (Maj. Gen. Noegroho
Djajoesman) can be summoned for questioning," he said.

Noegroho was the commander of the joint security troops
deployed in and around the Jakarta area during the recent General
Session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

When asked whether he knew that the attack was planned, Erald
said he did not know of such a plan.

He was silent when reporters hinted that it was common
knowledge that when the lights suddenly go out in a particular
area, which is being heavily guarded by military officers, it
almost certainly means that there was going to be an attack.

When a reporter said that there were at least 50 of his
colleagues at the scene, the undeterred Erald said that "this
means, any one of you could be called in for questioning as
eyewitnesses as well."

From the sky

On the police's preliminary investigation results, political
observer Hermawan Sulistyo said on Thursday that whether the
military officers had "returned from Timtim, or from the sky, the
act was a very serious violation".

"It was a serious violation against mankind. Call Noegroho
first, question him seriously over the matter, then talk,"
Hermawan, a researcher at the National Institute of Sciences,
told The Jakarta Post.

Jakarta Hospital Foundation chairman Royono Murad said on
Tuesday that repairs at the hospital would be completed by next
week.

Royono has repeatedly insisted that Jakarta Hospital had no
reason or plans to sue the police.

Earlier, hospital executives said that medical surgery would
be suspended for two and a half months at least, owing to damage
worth some Rp 2.5 billion. (ylt)