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)