Punish Soeharto

Punish Soeharto

From Rakyat Merdeka

A discussion on how to resolve the matter of Soeharto, aired
by private TV station SCTV some time ago, was rather utopian,
especially when H. Probosutedjo ventured that the matter should
be settled according to Islamic law. Allow me to provide my
opinion on what is a fitting course of action.

Our country is based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution,
and not on Islamic law. If the country's legal system was founded
on Islamic law, a person convicted of a crime could face
beheading.

Legal experts, public figures, students and the people demand
that Soeharto be tried in a court of law for the corruption,
collusion and nepotism he allegedly committed during his
presidency. Given that what Soeharto did was accounted for before
six general sessions of the People's Consultative Assembly,
thousands of members of the ruling Golkar Party should be
subjected to an interrogation by the Attorney General's Office.
In this respect, the ministers in the Development Cabinet and
Soeharto's cronies also must be interrogated.

Consider the following: Will the Attorney General's Office
have enough personnel to undertake this large-scale
interrogation? How many tons of paper will be needed for the
official reports on the interrogation? How much time will be
needed for the interrogation and investigation?

I am a retired army colonel from the 1945 generation
(Students' Troop, Surakarta). Since my retirement began on July
27, 1986, I have taken part in three general elections and voted
for PPP, Golkar and PDI all together (or, in other words, I voted
for none, being a follower of the White Group). When I was still
in active military service, I simply acted as a good listener and
onlooker and found that Golkar had begun to deviate from the path
of democracy, Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.

As a 1945 freedom fighter, I wish to suggest the following for
the settlement of Soeharto's case:
* Corruption, collusion and nepotism are simply the "smoke".
* We must instead look for the "fire" because the original of the
March 11 Letter of Instruction (known as Supersemar) is nowhere
to be found.
* If the original cannot be found, the punishment is 20 years in
jail pursuant to the criminal code (KUHP).
* Legally, this case must be transferred to a special court.
* About the sentence of 20 years, there would be a court ruling
and then, most likely, an appeal, which could be filed with the
Supreme Court, and then a request for amnesty which would be up
to the discretion of the head of state. Apart from the legal
settlement, the president may refer this case to the People's
Consultative Assembly to effect a political settlement.
* If the People's Consultative Assembly agrees to pardon
Soeharto, he could live in his Rp 26.5 billion house at the
Indonesia in Miniature Park (TMII), but should do without a
telephone, radio, television, magazines and newspapers.
* At 6 a.m. his family members may pay him a visit. At 6 p.m.
they and all the servants must leave the house. Only guards would
remain at strategic posts at a distance from the house.
* Doctors would make weekly visits during the day.

I believe that my recommendations are fair and wise. My
apologies if I have offended legal experts and the speakers
involved in the discussion organized by SCTV.

JACKY DJATMIKO

Jakarta