Trisakti investigation continues: Adi Andojo

Trisakti investigation continues: Adi Andojo

JAKARTA (JP): The head of the university team probing the May
12, 1998 shooting at Trisakti University, Adi Andojo Sutjipto,
said on Friday that the House of Representatives (DPR) has agreed
to form a special committee to investigate the fateful incident.

Speaking at a media briefing, Adi, who was accompanied by
Trisakti rector Thoby Mutis, said similar special committees
would also be setup to investigate the shootings at the Semanggi
Cloverleaf in November 1998 and September 1999.

"We hope to shed light on the Trisakti case which has not been
resolved for two years...as well as other violence," he said.

"This nation is too busy with politics it makes people easily
forget and forgive such incidents. This is dangerous since this
nation can loose its sensitivity," Adi, who is also dean of
Trisakti's faculty of law and previously deputy chief for the
Supreme Court, said.

Adi said the formation of the committee had been agreed in a
meeting with the House about a month ago.

"One of the proposers was Panda Nababan of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). The names of
committee members will be announced soon," he said.

Adi's team also recommended that then National Police chief
Gen. Dibyo Widodo be summoned by the House to clarify the case.

Adi claimed that the investigation of the Trisakti shooting
had been hindered by the fact that superiors of the eight Police
Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers refused to legally process them.

"Police are insistent that the shootings were not done by
their personnel, but by another squad. This was clearly stated by
Pak Dibyo Widodo, two days after the May 12 shooting.

"The general said that none of the police officers were armed
with live bullets. They only carried rubber bullets.

"This contradicts the results of the forensic laboratory work
by the military police, in which evidence all pointed to the
police," Adi explained.

The military tribunal convened over the Trisakti incident
sentenced on Aug. 12, 1998 two police officers to 10 months and 4
months in jail for ordering their men to shoot into a crowd of
demonstrating students.

The two officers were Lt. Agus Tri Heryanto, 29, and Lt.
Pariyo, 38, from the city police mobile brigade unit.

The status of the remaining eight policemen who have been
declared suspects remains unclear.

Four Trisakti students -- Heri Hartanto, Elang Mulya Lesmana,
Hafidin Royan and Hendriawan Sie -- were killed in the shooting.

"We have gone through various ballistic tests to obtain the
forensic results of the guns used in the killings. The last test
was conducted in Canada earlier this year," Adi said.

"It is our team's conclusion that the military, in this case
also the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) are not the ones who
did this. Valid evidence so far all points to the police. I also
believe that Prabowo Subianto had nothing to do with this ... But
if he wants to testify, it's up to him," he said.

"We hope for justice to prevail, especially since the House
has passed the bill on Human Rights Tribunal. We do not want any
scapegoats in this case, but we want this case to be properly
resolved. We owe it to those victims of violence".

The Trisakti incident on May 12 forged a massive wave of
student and protests in the streets of Jakarta which culminated
in the resignation of President Soeharto on May 21.

In a bid to promote human rights issues, Trisakti University
will also hold its VII Lustrum on Nov. 27 under the title Human
Rights Enforcement for Strengthening the Unity of the Nation.
(edt)