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Fri, 06 Oct 2000

JP/Sutiyoso responsible for takeover of PDI HQ

Sutiyoso responsible for takeover of PDI HQ

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso was responsible for the violent takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters in 1996 when he was chief of the Jakarta Military Command, a top military investigator said on Thursday.

Military police chief Maj. Gen. Djasri Marin said Sutiyoso and the Jakarta Police chief at the time, Insp. Gen. Hamami Nata, should take responsibility for the attack at the building on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta.

"The security of Jakarta was their responsibility," said Djasri, who is also deputy chairman of the joint National Police- Military Police team investigating the July 27 incident.

Both men held the authority to take over PDI headquarter, he said.

Both Sutiyoso and Hamami have been questioned by the team in connection with the tragedy.

"Their status as witnesses could be changed into suspects, depending on the evidence found by the team," Djasri said.

Sutiyoso told the investigators last month that the order to take over the PDI office came directly from then president Soeharto during a meeting with military and police leaders on July 19. He recalled that then Armed Forces chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung and other top military brass were present.

The PDI office at the time was occupied by supporters of Megawati Soekarnoputri, who was ousted from the party leadership by a group of party executives with the support of the military.

Megawati since then established her PDI Perjuangan (Struggle) and subsequently won the 1999 election and became vice president.

During the brief occupation, the PDI office became a site for a rare free speech forum, with activists verbally attacking the government of president Soeharto and his policies.

The violent takeover by the splinter PDI group, reportedly helped by the military and police, triggered bloody unrest in Central Jakarta that left five people dead.

The investigation so far has named a number of PDI executives from the splinter group and three middle-ranking military officers as suspects in the incident. (02)