Susilo linked to the July 27 tragedy
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Semarang/Yogyakarta
While President Megawati Soekarnoputri again distanced herself from the tragedy of July 27, 1996 -- which identified her as then president Soeharto's political victim -- the eighth commemoration of the incident on Tuesday was marked by an attempt to link her opponent in the election, Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to the tragedy.
Megawati opted to open the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) transportation meeting in Bali on Tuesday. Her husband Taufik Kiemas and daughter Puan Maharani sent bouquets of flowers to be placed in front of the former office of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta.
Dozens of people chanted antimilitary slogans there: "Bring the perpetrators to court. Several generals were responsible for the violence. Bring Sutiyoso and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to court," they said.
Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso, the incumbent Jakarta governor, was then Jakarta Military commander, and then Brig. Gen. Susilo was his chief of staff, when Soeharto ordered the military to disperse a gathering of Megawati's supporters at the office. Soeharto ousted Megawati in June 1996 as PDI leader, fearing that she posed a threat to his government.
Her supporters guarded the office to prevent the government from taking it over. Five people were killed and 23 others went missing when a military-backed group launched the attack. Soeharto later appointed Sutiyoso as Jakarta governor, apparently in appreciation of his success in dispersing Megawati's supporters.
According to Tempo news weekly, in its latest edition, Susilo suspects that his name was linked to the tragedy to serve the interests of "those at the center of power". "There was no warning, yet, suddenly it surfaced like that," he said.
After almost two years with no significant progress, the Attorney General's Office recently pledged to pursue the case. Suspicions have arisen over the motives and timing of the renewed commitment to investigate the case, as the reemergence of the case could damage Susilo's bid for the presidency.
The official investigation team has declared 22 people as suspects, 10 are from the military, including Sutiyoso.
Megawati's aides, however, deny the allegation. According to them, "it would only backfire" if Megawati's camp attempted to blame the general for the incident.
Meanwhile, the police refused the request of a small group of youths to enter the commemoration venue, to avoid a possible clash with Megawati's supporters. Apart from condemning the military for the incident, they also shouted that "Megawati should be responsible for the violence."
Megawati has shown little interest in the tragedy. She even strongly supported the reelection of Sutiyoso as governor in 2001.
Meanwhile, in Yogyakarta, dozens of Megawati's supporters gathered at Parangkusumo beach and threw military boots and traditional Javanese puppets to the water to symbolize the struggle against military power.
"I wish Ibu Megawati would be more serious in looking back over the bloody incident -- no matter if that implicated several influential figures here," coordinator of the event, Cindelaras Dwi Yulianto, said.
In Semarang, students of the Anti-repressive Forum held a peaceful rally, distributing flowers and antimilitarism messages to passersby.