Trisakti tragedy focuses on Brimob

JAKARTA: Nine low-level Mobile Brigade (Brimob) policemen are facing possible jail time and dismissal from the National Police for allegedly shooting students at Trisakti University three years ago, which claimed four lives and injured six others.

The sentence requested by Prosecutor Lt. Col. Taufikurrahman on Thursday at the Jakarta Military Court was reported to be a maximum of three years in jail.

The defendants are First. Insp. Erick Kadir Sully, First Brig. Raul da Costa, First Adj. Brig. Suparwanto, First Brig. Joko Irwanto, First Brig. Teddy Iskandar, First Brig. Anang Yuliarto, First Brig. Cahyo Nugroho, First Adj. Brig. Langgeng Sugiarto and First Adj. Brig. Santoso.

According to the prosecutor, the defendants shot the students during a demonstration near the university in West Jakarta on May 12, 1998 allegedly without orders from their commanding officers.

The demonstrations demanding president Soeharto's resignation led to the anti-Chinese riots and looting as well as political upheaval throughout the country. --JP