Thousands of people pay tribute to Lopa

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of people from all walks of life paid tribute to the late attorney general Baharuddin Lopa as his remains arrived at Soekarno-Hatta airport on Thursday.

A group of local residents, modestly attired compared to the grandees welcoming Lopa's remains, were seen standing along the toll road slipway near the airport waving big posters bearing Lopa's likeness.

The posters read: "Goodbye, Baharuddin Lopa."

It was an emotional affair as many of those in attendance, including porters and cargo handlers, shed tears during the brief ceremony that ended at 3:45 p.m.

After the ceremony, held in the Garuda cargo compound, Lopa's remains were transported to his home on Jl. Pondok Bambu Asri Raya in East Jakarta. The remains will stay there overnight before burial on Friday morning.

Lopa, dubbed a model of uncompromising law enforcement, will be buried at the National Heroes Cemetery in Kalibata, South Jakarta, at 9 a.m., in a military ceremony.

Lopa, 65, was also known as a human rights activist.

He died of heart failure in Riyadh on Tuesday after only one month in office. Before his appointment as attorney general, he had served as minister of justice for nearly four months starting in February.

Thursday's ceremony, which was presided over by Assistant Attorney General Suparman, was attended by state officials, ministers, public prosecutors, as well as legal practitioners and activists.

Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo A.S., Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Indroko Sastrowiryono, Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo, National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) chairman Djoko Sugianto and members Bambang W. Soeharto and H.S. Dillon, and lawyers Juan Felix Tampubolon and O.C. Kaligis were in attendance.

Also greeting the remains of the former ambassador to Saudi Arabia were Minister of Home Affairs Surjadi Soedirdja, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab, State Minister for the Empowerment of Women Khofifah Indar Parawansa, State Minister of the Environment Sonny Keraf and State Minister of Cooperatives/Small and Medium Enterprises Zarkasih Noer.

During the ceremony, Alwi handed over the remains to Suparman, who was representing the state, and delivered a brief but emotional speech.

"He was not only a colleague, but also a friend, a brother, and a father to me ... he was close to me. During his last days, we often shared our feelings. I'm sure he was the kind of person who went to his Creator in peace.

"God loves him. We can see this from the fact that he died after performing Umrah (minor pilgrimage to Mecca)," Alwi said.

Suparman then handed the remains to the deceased's brother Achmad Lopa, who represented Lopa's family. The remains were brought home in motorcade.

Many more visitors were waiting for the arrival of Lopa's remains at his residence, where a mass prayer was then led by popular Muslim clergyman Emha Ainun Najib. (bby)