Probe into Semanggi incident criticized

JAKARTA (JP): The independent Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) lashed out on Monday at the probe into the shooting of protesters at the Semanggi cloverleaf in Nov. 13, which killed 14, mostly students.

The last of the 14, Engkus Kusnadi, a 19-year-old student of architecture, died after 10 days in coma.

Kontras has charged that the Armed Forces (ABRI) was too slow and that the investigation into the incident was "fraught with uncertainties".

"The recent statement by the military police resulted from their minimum investigative efforts and we therefore doubt their resolve," the commission stated.

It was referring to last week's statement by military police chief Maj. Gen. Djasri M. to the effect that there has been no progress in the investigation into the shootings.

He said that the military was still unable to determine who opened fire on the protesters.

The Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto told the House of Representatives in November that the 5.56-millimeter bullet found in a victim's body did not belong to the armory of any military unit. The military has said that the bullet divided into three pieces in the victim's body.

Kontras however said that Wiranto's statement was not "the end of the story" and that the military is still responsible for resolving the case.

"As of yet we see no reason for the military to stop the investigation," Kontras said.

Kontras also criticized the military neglect of proper witness questioning procedures. No prior summons had been issued.

"Witnesses have been reluctant to answer military police requests for questioning as there was no official clarification of the nature of the questioning," Kontras said.

The shooting occurred when thousands of students staging rallies in front of the private Atma Jaya University to protest the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly from Nov. 10 to Nov. 13 clashed with security personnel blocking their way to the legislature compound in Senayan, about 300 meters west of the cloverleaf.

Kontras on behalf of the parents of six students shot dead reiterated on Monday that the Nov. 13 shootings should not remain a mystery like the shooting deaths of the four Trisakti University students in May.

The Trisakti shootings triggered savage riots in the capital which killed at least 1,200 people and led to the downfall of former president Soeharto.

Answering questions from the foreign press on the shootings, Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono said on Nov. 20 that "there are rogue elements within the military who are interested in further discrediting the current defense minister Gen. Wiranto".

Juwono, who had just received students at his office at the time, however, did not elaborate further on who 'these rogue elements' were.

He would only say that attempts to discredit Wiranto were part of "the power struggle up in the top echelons of the government".

The National Commission on Human Rights set up their own team to investigate the shootings shortly after the incident.

Chairman of the rights body, Marzuki Darusman, said at that time that the team would complement the government's explanation of the shootings, pointing out that more information is required to establish responsibility for the tragedy. (byg)