Political prisoner still hopes for clemency
Political prisoner still hopes for clemency
JAKARTA (JP): An Army officer who is serving a life term for his part in the coup attempt against president Sukarno in 1965 said yesterday he still hopes the government considers granting him clemency.
Abdul Latief, a colonel at the time of the 1965 attempted coup, said he submitted an application for clemency in June.
"I haven't received any reply to this day," Latief, 70, told reporters during a luncheon at the Cipinang penitentiary organized by the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) and Republika daily newspaper laid out for inmates.
Latief's name last year was rumored to be one of several political prisoners associated with the 1965 coup who were due for release through presidential amnesty.
The government announced three names only -- Subandrio, Omar Dhani and R. Soetarto -- in August and said that applications from 10 others had been rejected. But Latief's name was not in the list of 10 whose appeal for clemency was turned down.
Soebandrio was deputy prime minister in 1965; Omar Dhani was Air Force chief of staff; and Soetarto was an official of the Center for Intelligence Agency.
Latief recalled that he submitted his application together with seven other political prisoners in June.
He said he also sent a letter to the Supreme Military Tribunal to query the fate of his application.
The warden of the Cipinang penitentiary, Mintardjo, confirmed that he handled Latief's letter.
This was the second time Latief applied for clemency. The first time, in 1987, was rejected, Latief said.
Besides Latief, there are four other political prisoners from the 1965 coup attempt in Cipinang.
Yesterday's luncheon, in which about 500 inmates joined, was held to celebrate the conclusion of the Ramadhan fasting month.
The ICMI delegation was led by Secretary-General Adi Sasono and included former National Police chief Awaloedin Djamin, former justice Bismar Siregar and Baharuddin Lopa.
The head of the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Justice, Muhammad Choudry Alamsyah Boer, was also present.
Responding to questions, Lopa told reporters after the luncheon that his organization opens its doors to former prisoners, including political prisoners, who wish to join as long as they meet the criteria of an intellectual.
Adi Sasono added that anyone who has social awareness by definition is an intellectual although he or she may not possession a university education.
Adi, however, said that the ICMI luncheon was not intended to recruit prisoners.
The occasion was to show that ICMI cares for less fortunate people such as those behind bars, he said. (imn)