Retired Army generals face questioning over 1996 case

Retired Army generals face questioning over 1996 case

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police announced plans on Thursday
to summon three retired Army generals for questioning in
connection with the violence that followed the forcible takeover
of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) office in 1996.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dadang Garnida said the
police would summon former Armed Forces chief Gen. (ret) Feisal
Tanjung, former Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs Lt.
Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid and former Jakarta Military commander
Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso, who is the current Jakarta governor.

Dadang said the police would question the three retired
military officers as witnesses due to their positions at the time
of the incident. The questioning is scheduled to take place on
Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

If the questioning reveals the retired generals played a role
in the bloodshed, their cases will be submitted to Military
Police Headquarters, he said.

"The three might be civilians now, but they were Army generals
during the incident. Therefore, if they turn out to be suspects
further investigation will be carried out by the Military
Police," Dadang said.

According to regulations, a summons must be sent at least four
days prior to questioning.

"The questioning of the former generals depends on how much
longer it take detectives to question (former PDI chairman)
Soerjadi. If they need to question him further, then the
questioning of the Army generals might be postponed. But the
former generals will certainly be questioned," Dadang said.

The latest person to be examined over the incident was PDI
executive Fatimah Achmad, who had been questioned previously.

PDI supporters loyal to Soerjadi took over the party's office
on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta on July 27, 1996. At the
time, the office was occupied by supporters of Megawati
Soekarnoputri, whom Soerjadi ousted as party head in a
government-backed party congress in June.

Many believe elements of the former Indonesian Armed Forces
(ABRI) were involved in the attack.

The National Commission on Human Rights announced in September
1996 that five people died, 149 were injured and 23 went missing
during the violence.

Shortly after police reopened the investigation into the
incident in February of this year, 13 people were named suspects.

Soerjadi, also a member of the Supreme Advisory Council, was
arrested on Tuesday, on the eve of his 61st birthday, following
marathon questioning over his role in the violence.

Soerjadi is now in the custody of the National Police, along
with three other former PDI executives.

Soerjadi was quoted by his lawyer Parlin Sitorus as telling
police detectives he hosted a meeting with a number of officers
from the Armed Forces and officials from the Ministry of Home
Affairs at a hotel in South Jakarta two days before the July 27
bloodshed.

Among those who attended the meeting were Syarwan and the then
director general of sociopolitical affairs at the ministry,
Soetoyo N.K.

Soerjadi's lawyers have repeatedly accused the police of
failing to go after senior military officers reportedly involved
in plotting the removal of Megawati as PDI chairwoman and the
1996 attack. (ylt)