Tanjung Priok rights trial to go ahead

Tanjung Priok rights trial to go ahead

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The ad hoc human rights tribunal decided on Monday to proceed
with the trial of military officers allegedly involved in the
Tanjung Priok massacre in 1984, despite arguments from defense
lawyers that the court had no legitimacy to hear the case.

Presiding judge Andi Samsan Nganro said the court was
authorized to hear the case based on a presidential decree in
2001 on the establishment of the ad hoc human rights tribunal.

The lawyers, representing Col. Sutrisno Mascung and other 10
defendants, had earlier insisted that the decree was "legally
defective."

Andi said that the decree was valid as the government had not
revoked it. There had not been a motion from the public for
judicial review of the decree, either, Andi added.

The panel of five judges also rejected the lawyers' argument
that the indictment was inaccurate.

The case is scheduled to resume on Monday next week to hear
testimony from several witnesses.

Sutrisno, was then a captain, led Platoon II of the Air
Defense Artillery Battalion based in North Jakarta. His
subordinates, Chief Corp. Asrori, Chief Corp. Siswoyo, Sgt. Maj.
Abdul Halim, Second Lt. Zulfata, Sgt. Maj. Sumitro, Chief Sgt.
Sofyan Hadi, Chief Corp. Prayogi, Chief Corp. Winarko, Chief
Corp. Idrus and Second Sgt. Muhson are being charged with crimes
against humanity.

Under Human Rights Law No. 26/2000, the soldiers face a
minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of death if
found guilty.

Prosecutors said the defendants were involved in the shooting
at a crowd of demonstrators during a rally on Sept. 12, 1984,
which claimed at least 14 lives and injured 11 others.

The National Commission on Human Rights put the number of
fatalities at 33.

The Tanjung Priok bloodshed trial is the second human rights
tribunal after the trial of security officers and civilians
involved in East Timor atrocities, which drew public criticism,
as most of the defendants were acquitted.

Many have also raised skepticism over the Tanjung Priok trial,
as high-ranking military officers in command at that time are
exempt from prosecution. These include former Jakarta military
commander Gen. (ret) Try Sutrisno and former Armed Forces
Commander Gen. (ret) L.B. Moerdani.