Several generals to be grilled over Trisakti tragedy
JAKARTA (JP): A House of Representatives' special committee will question on Tuesday a number of active and retired senior army and police officers in connection with the May 12, 1998 shooting of Trisakti University students, the committee chairman announced on Thursday.
Panda Nababan, who heads the committee of around 40, said former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. (ret.) Wiranto, former National Police chief Gen. (ret.) Dibyo Widodo, former Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsuddin and former Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata were among the high-ranking officers being summoned to testify about the incident.
Other lower-ranking officers to face questioning included Col. Arthur Damanik from the Jakarta Police, Maj. Herman, former deputy chief of the West Jakarta Police precinct, Lt. Col. Timur Pradopo, former chief of the West Jakarta Police precinct and Lt. Col. A. Amirul, former chief of the West Jakarta Military Command.
The officers were in charge of security in the city when the incident, which left four Trisakti students dead, took place.
Panda said that both TNI and National Police Headquarters have approved the questioning, which is aimed at ascertaining the facts surrounding the killings.
"Their testimony is needed to resolve the mystery which still surrounds the shootings. We want to know who ordered the security forces to open fire on protesting students inside the Trisakti campus.
"In line with the chain of command in both the military and the National Police, there must be somebody who gave the order," Panda said at a hearing with the new City Military Commander Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo on Thursday.
The special committee is probing the use of violence by the security forces in dealing with student demonstrations in May and November 1998, events now known as the Trisakti and Semanggi tragedies.
The military tribunal established to investigate the Trisakti incident sentenced on Aug. 12, 1998 First Lt. Agus Tri Heryanto, 29, and Second Lt. Pariyo, 38, both from the police's Mobile Brigade, to 10 months and 4 months in jail respectively for ordering their men to shoot into a crowd of demonstrating students, killing Heri Hartanto, Elang Mulya Lesmana, Hafidin Royan and Hendriawan Sie.
Another eight police officers were named suspects in the case, but their fate remains unclear up to the present time.
Panda said it was unfair to punish only those who opened fire on the students while those who were in command of the operation were not prosecuted.
"The most important thing is that the special committee is committed to carrying out a thorough investigation into the incident," he said.
Semanggi
Meanwhile, Col. Yoestiono, chief of the Jakarta Military Police, said the Military Police would prosecute First Private B. Sastro from the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) on charges of shooting Yun Hap, a University of Indonesia student, in the Semanggi tragedy.
"But, Sastro's case has yet to be brought to trial because of the absence of witnesses to the killing," he said.
He said an assistant to the rector of the Catholic University of Atma Jaya was to have testified in the case but he withdrew because he said he did not actually witness the incident.
Panda questioned the military tribunal's rejection of the case, saying the tribunal should be able to try the case as had happened with the Trisakti case, despite the absence of witnesses.
He said the students who participated in the demonstration had forwarded the necessary facts and information to the city military but these had disappeared for unclear reasons. (rms)