Other general linked to activist abductions

Other general linked to activist abductions

JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto
confirmed yesterday that then Army Special Force (Kopassus) chief
Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto received instructions from a superior
to launch security measures aimed at safeguarding the
presidential election last March.

Wiranto, who is also minister of defense, said at ABRI's
Cilangkap Headquarters in East Jakarta yesterday that the orders
also instructed Prabowo to transfer Kopassus personnel to another
unit charged with the security of the General Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly.

"The instruction to transfer a number of Kopassus troops to
another unit came from an officer, who was higher in rank. It
could be anybody.

"The (Kopassus) troops were under the direct command of the
other military unit's commander," he explained.

He did not name the "higher-ranking officer" who gave the
instruction or the other military unit, saying only: "It's a
common practice in ABRI for a military unit to lend troops to
another unit for a certain military operation."

ABRI's chain of command structurally has only three officers
with the authority to issue a direct order to the Kopassus
commander.

In terms of military operations, Kopassus' commander directly
reports to the Armed Forces chief. For administrative affairs,
the elite corps reports to the Army chief of staff.

The ABRI commander at the time was Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung,
who is now coordinating minister for political affairs and
security, while the Army chief then was Wiranto.

Such an instruction could have also come from ABRI's supreme
commander at the time: then president Soeharto, who is also
Prabowo's father-in-law.

Prabowo, together with his successor Maj. Gen. Muchdi
Purwopranjono and chief of Kopassus' Group IV for Intelligence
Operations Col. Chairawan, is now under intensive investigation
by ABRI's Officers Honor Council for his alleged role in the
kidnappings and torture of political activists.

Ten other Kopassus soldiers, who rank lower than Chairawan,
await a court-martial for the kidnappings. The trial is expected
to start soon.

Council chairman Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo said Monday that the
abductions of political activists were not ordered by ABRI's top
brass, but were carried out through Prabowo's interpretation of
his superior's instructions.

Subagyo, who is also Army chief of staff, said Prabowo's
instructions were only to transfer troops to another military
unit and monitor the moves of political activists, especially in
Jakarta.

In a related development yesterday, relatives of 12 activists
reportedly still missing went to the Army's headquarters to ask
the Honor Council for information on the whereabouts of their
loved ones.

Among the relatives were the mother of Yani Avri, parents of
Herman Hendrawan, the sister of Noval and the sister of Dedy Umar
Hamdun.

They failed to meet Subagyo and were only received by
Assistant for Security Affairs to the Army chief Maj. Gen. Nur
Aman.

"I'll forward your petition to the Honor Council chief," Aman
said. (imn)