Seven opposition figures questioned further
Seven opposition figures questioned further
JAKARTA (JP): The National Police ignored mounting calls on
Wednesday to drop their investigation of government critics and
continued to question seven of the 20 opposition figures accused
of trying to topple President B.J. Habibie's government.
The seven figures questioned at the National Police
headquarters were former head of the Army's Strategic Reserve
Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. (ret) A. Kemal Idris; former Jakarta
governor Marine Lt. Gen. (ret) Ali Sadikin; politician Johny M.
Hidayat; soothsayer Permadi; economist Sri Edi Swasono and his
younger brother, Indonesian Democratic Union Party (Pudi)
chairman Sri Bintang Pamungkas and Meilono Suwondo, a close
associate of Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Those summoned for questioning earlier included Megawati's
youngest sister Sukmawati; University of Indonesia alumni (Iluni)
chairman Hariadi Dharmawan; Iluni executive M. Haryono
Kartohadiprodjo; Pribadyo S.; Roch Basoeki Mangoenprojo and Koen
Soekarno.
The seven figures questioned on Wednesday admitted they had
signed dossiers in which they rejected the allegation that they
planned a massive student movement and mass recruitment to
"occupy" the House of Representatives/People's Consultative
Assembly (DPR/MPR) building on Nov. 13.
A police source said that of the 20 opposition figures the
police were only seriously targeting three. These are believed to
have close links with the student movement and the declaration of
the joint communique, demanding the Habibie government be
replaced.
"They are Sri Edi Swasono, who is one of the students'
favorite lecturers; Hariadi on account of his Iluni position and
Johny M. Hidayat, who organized the joint communique
declaration," the source said.
The figures are charged of violating Articles 107 and 110 of
the Criminal Code on subversion, which carry maximum penalties of
life imprisonment.
"Today's questioning of me has finished, but as a good citizen
I'm ready whenever police still need me," Sri Bintang told
reporters before leaving the headquarters.
In a related development, Hariadi, who is the inspector
general at the Ministry of Forestry and Plantation is soon to be
dismissed from his post.
Forestry minister Muslimin Nasution confirmed the replacement,
but denied that it was related to the ongoing police
investigation.
"It's not because he is currently summoned by the police for
questioning. The process is quite complicated and is on account
of various considerations," the minister told journalists on
Wednesday.
Hariadi and several other senior officials at the ministry
were replaced based on decrees issued by Habibie and Muslimin
last month.
Their successors would be officially installed soon after
Habibie issued a decree that would legalize the new organization
of the ministry, Muslimin added.
In Yogyakarta thousands of students from Sanata Dharma
University held a long march from their campus to the state-run
radio (RRI) station RRI Nusantara II in protest the Semanggi
incident and reject the results of the MPR Special Session.
In Mataram West Nusa Tenggara, Supreme Advisory Council
chairman A.A. Baramuli disclosed that he had advised the
President to uphold the existing law against the dissident
figures.
"I suggested that the President use the existing laws, but not
the subversion law, as it's not democratic and not in line with
the state ideology Pancasila," he said.
In Bandung the student senate of the Bandung Institute of
Technology urged high-ranking government officials and heads of
various groups to restrain themselves and no longer use hostile
words, such as treason, exploitation by force and setting one
side against the other, which only create further hatred.
(emf/gis/swa/25)