Rights body told to prove its findings
Rights body told to prove its findings
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto challenged the Commission on
Human Rights yesterday to prove its report that up to 74 people
were missing after the July 27 riots.
"The number of people missing that the commission reported was
enormous. The government is very surprised," the President was
quoted as saying by Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono.
Moerdiono said President Soeharto asked that the commission
support its findings, on both deaths and disappearances, with
evidence that "makes sense," such as names, addresses and when
they disappeared.
The government has said that only four people died and 28 were
injured in the incident. It has never made mention of people
missing after the day-long rioting, which caused a material loss
of over Rp 200 billion (US$85 million).
"The incredibly big difference (between the government and the
commission's figures) can spur misunderstanding among the people
and it's 'unhealthy' for the resolution of questions related to
the July 27 affair," Moerdiono said.
Takeover
The riots were triggered by the violent takeover of the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters by supporters of
new party leader Soerjadi, who was elected in a government-
sanctioned congress in Medan in June.
Ousted PDI leader Megawati Soekarnoputri's supporters, who
lost the headquarters to their rivals under Soerjadi, have
claimed that the number of people unaccounted for reached 154.
Commission members said last week the findings were
provisional and they would continue to receive input from the
public until they announce the final version in a week or two.
They said their main sources were documented data at hospitals
that they cross-checked with witnesses' accounts. The commission
provisionally released the findings in response to a flood of
public inquiries.
Moerdiono said the government appreciated the commission's
findings, so long as it is able to prove its credibility. He
pledged that the government would not interfere in its affairs.
He also reminded the commission that it obtained its funding
from the government, which also provided it with an office.
On Aug. 29, commission activists met with senior government
and military officials, including Coordinating Minister for
Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman and Armed Forces
Chief for Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid. The
officials asked the commission to release findings that would
clear up the issue.
On a separate occasion, commission member Bambang Soeharto
reiterated that the findings were provisional and open for
revision based on credible input from witnesses.
"We have no intention to invent stories," said Bambang, who is
in charge of preparing the report on the commission's findings.
He said the commission aims at helping the public obtain a
more credible picture of what happened on July 27.
"We believe there wasn't a single bullet fired by the
authorities ... We released the findings to help soothe the
public, who were worried," he said. "We do not say that everyone
of those reported missing by their families had a connection with
the riots." (pan)