Soeharto blamed for Priok atrocity

Soeharto blamed for Priok atrocity

JAKARTA: The National Commission for Missing Persons and
Victims of Violence (Kontras) demanded on Thursday the Attorney
General's Office charge former president Soeharto and his
generals suspects with crimes against humanity committed in
Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta 19 years ago.

Kontras chairman Ori Rahman expressed discontent with the fact
that prosecutors investigating the Tanjung Priok massacre
exempted Soeharto, Gen. (ret) Benny Moerdani and Gen. (ret) Try
Sutrisno from 14 suspects declared recently. Benny and Try were
the Armed Forces chief and Jakarta military commander
respectively when the bloodshed occurred in 1984.

The current Special Forces commander, Maj. Gen. Sriyanto
Muntrasan, heads the list of suspects, mostly military officers
who were ordered to quell the antigovernment protests at the
time. It is estimated that at least 33 people were killed.

"The naming of the suspects does not tell if gross human
rights violations took place then," Ori said.

He said former minister of justice Ismail Saleh was also to
blame for failing to ensure fair trials were held. -- JP