Riots investigation team to query security commanders

Riots investigation team to query security commanders

JAKARTA (JP): A government-created fact-finding team plans to
question a number of security commanders about the riots which
hit Jakarta and other cities in mid-May.

"The team will soon interview officials who were in charge of
security during the riots to obtain clarification," the 19-member
team said in a statement.

The statement did not specify the names of the security
commanders or when they would be questioned.

The team's chairman, Marzuki Darusman, told The Jakarta Post
that such details would be finalized tomorrow.

A source close to the investigation told the Post that former
Jakarta military commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and
former city police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata were among those
to be questioned.

Sjafrie was replaced by Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman last month
and appointed assistant for territorial affairs to the Armed
Forces (ABRI) chief of general affairs.

Hamami was replaced by Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman less than
two weeks after the May riots.

The riots erupted in Jakarta and cities like Surakarta,
Central Java, in the wake of the deaths of four students shot by
security forces during a demonstration on May 12.

At least 1,200 died in the riots and thousands of buildings
were looted or burned.

It was also later reported that women, primarily of Chinese
descent, became victims of rape and sexual abuse during the
riots.

The government established the fact-finding team on July 23.
It comprises of representatives from the Armed Forces, government
agencies, the National Commission on Human Rights and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) and is charged to investigate
and, if possible, unveil the perpetrators of the riots, which
some say was organized.

The joint team is expected to complete its task in three
months.

The team criticized officials yesterday for voicing doubts
about reports of rapes and sexual assaults during the riots.

National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi said Monday that
some NGOs had exaggerated such reports.

Roesmanhadi warned that if the NGOs failed to come up with
evidence and continued alleging that sexual assaults occurred,
they could be charged for spreading unsubstantiated rumors.

Marzuki yesterday decried Roesmanhadi's remarks, which he said
"only hampers the team's work".

Speaking to journalists after meeting representatives of a
women's rights group, the Civil Society on Violence Against
Women, at the Ministry of Justice, Marzuki said "with certainty,
I confirm that there are facts (about the rapes)".

He added that Roesmanhadi's statement was "unnecessary" and
that the police should not "move ahead" of the team by making
such statements.

Activists, including members of the Volunteers for Humanity,
led by Catholic priest Sandyawan Sumardi, have reported that 168
women were raped or sexually assaulted between May 13 and July 3.

Marzuki said the team had completed collecting information and
was now in its "verification" stage.

The team is divided into three groups: one specifically to
verify data, another to hear testimonies and a third to record
facts from riot victims.

"Government officials should not make intimidating and
contradicting statements before the task force finishes its job,"
said team member Saparinah Sadli.

Although establishments owned or believed to be connected to
Chinese-Indonesians were prominently targeted during the unrest,
Sandyawan, another team member, indicated that ethnicity was not
the cause of the riots.

"The substantial problem is not war between ethnic groups, nor
any group for that matter. It was violence done by a politically
motivated and organized group," Sandyawan asserted.

The National Commission on Human Rights argued last month that
the reported sexual assaults during the riots were perpetrated
systematically by an unidentified group.

Separately, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar
Sianipar told reporters yesterday that police would soon hold a
meeting with NGOs to exchange views regarding the reports of
rapes and sexual abuse during the riots.

Togar admitted that police were having difficulties in
investigating such reports.

"We followed all the leads, but it turned out that none of
them were true. We are also continuing efforts through our
policewomen's teams called Merpati Squads. So far, we haven't
found any solid evidence about the reports." said Togar.
(byg/edt)