Rights activists slam TNI over summons

Rights activists slam TNI over summons

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A human rights group slammed the Indonesian Military (TNI) on
Wednesday for refusing to answer a summons by the Commission of
Inquiry into Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM) for the Trisakti,
Semanggi I and Semanggi II incidents, saying the rejection showed
their lack of understanding of the role of KPP HAM.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Secretary
General Asmara Nababan told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that
KPP HAM was established to investigate gross human rights
violations in the three incidents.

"The rejection by TNI headquarters of a summons issued by the
commission demonstrates that they do not understand whether or
not the House (of Representatives) can issue a legal
recommendation," Asmara said, referring to the House's earlier
decision of no violations.

"We have sent other letters to the TNI chief (Adm. Widodo
A.S.) to explain the matter and hopefully he will meet us within
the next two or three days. If they insist on rejecting the plan,
we will use our subpoena powers to force them to comply with our
summons," Asmara said.

Commission member Hendardi said KPP HAM had yet to disclose
any names of high ranking military officers or high ranking
police officers, to be questioned.

He, however, implied that "some of the commanders at the
operational level up to the officers who were in charge in making
policies" could be queried.

"But it is quite possible that generals that have been
questioned by the House will again be summoned by us," Hendardi
said.

On Monday the TNI leadership said a KPP HAM investigation is
irrelevant and they saw no need to comply, since the House had
already conducted their investigation concluding that there were
no gross human rights violations in the shooting incidents.

According to Asmara, the conclusion was not a legal decision
and therefore Komnas HAM may embark on a fresh round of
investigations.

Four Trisakti University students were shot to death in May
1998 after they held a demonstration against Soeharto's New Order
regime, triggering wide-spread riots across the country that
forced the former president to step down in disgrace.

The Semanggi I and II incidents, on the other hand, occurred
during the short tenure of B.J. Habibie, Soeharto's successor, as
thousands of students demanded politicians, including the
military, to introduce sweeping reforms. The protests were,
however, repressed by security personnel.

Bowing to mounting public demands, the House established a
special committee in 2000 to probe the cases and questioned
several army and police generals, including former Armed Forces
Gen. (ret) Wiranto, former National Police chief Gen. (ret) Dibyo
Widodo, former Jakarta Military commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie
Sjamsoeddin, former Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Hamami Nata,
and former Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt.
Gen. (ret) Prabowo.

The legislators, however, issued a controversial conclusion
saying that there were no gross human rights violations in the
fatal shooting incidents in which 30 young people, mostly
students, were killed and therefore the cases should be tried in
a military tribunal.

Responding to the conclusion, Komnas HAM established a
Commission in August 2001 and sought the TNI headquarters'
permission to question some senior generals allegedly involved in
the incidents.

The TNI headquarters, through its legal department chief Maj.
Gen. Timor P. Manurung recently rejected the plan saying that
such a probe was "irrelevant and against existing laws."

Separately, Wiranto said that the TNI had rejected the plan
because the cases had been politicized and ignored the principle
of presumption of innocence.

He also said that the TNI did not intend to violate human
rights as "they were only trying to guard the country from more
massive riots, as well as to secure the national agenda."

"I hope the political elites understand that their current
positions were secured because of our (military) action and
sacrifice," Wiranto warned.