Treatment of TNI

Treatment of TNI

From Kompas

Having read the media's reports on the May 12, 1998 tragedy, including the statements of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and Todung Mulya Lubis that the Indonesian Military (TNI) was involved in serious human rights violations (Kompas of May 10, 2001 and May 23, 2001), TNI seem to be cornered by established opinion. This opinion is certainly unfair as it only focuses on the four student victims whereas soldiers and/or policemen killed while performing their duties during students or mass demonstrations are ignored.

I am not a man who makes a cult of retired Gen. Wiranto, however, based on his statements and existing information, when he was chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces, he was a popular general who was very patient in dealing with demonstrators. He had instructed the Riot Control Units to be tactful and wise in handling demonstrators. Imagine how hard it was to handle the students as the security apparatus had to be mentally prepared to receive insult, be abused, pelted with Molotov cocktails and so on.

If Gen.(ret.) Wiranto had not been the chief of the Armed Forces at that time, a Tiananmen-like incident could have taken place.

Coming back to the issue of the May 12, 1998 tragedy, all parties including TNI should help realize a fair trial and justice based on witnesses accounts and evidence, and not emotions. This way we hope the culprits who caused the deaths of those students and security personnel would be identified.

YANTO

Bandung