Trisakti trial told of presence of unknown troops

JAKARTA (JP): The seventh session of the Trisakti military tribunal yesterday was told about the presence of unidentified troops and shots being fired by unknown squads during the May 12 incident.

Defense witness Maj. Bayu Eko Tidaryanto, the head of the city Police's general public information section, told the court that he was among the crowd with two subordinates documenting the students' demonstration when the shooting broke out.

"What I saw at that time is the following: the police mobile brigade unit was formed in two lines on a street but behind them were antiriot squads -- wearing gray uniforms, guns on their backs and holding shields -- without any identities," Bayu said.

Defense lawyer Mohammad Assegaff asked the witness whether he knew of the squads' identity.

"No, I do not know. If I said they were from the Jakarta Military Command, I might be wrong.

But I am sure, they were not from the police squads. No police wore such uniforms," Bayu said to cheers from the public gallery.

He said he was at the scene from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

"At about 5 p.m. I was pushed by the crowds and then the situation deteriorated," Bayu said.

After a while, he said, he heard warning shots and the students started to run inside the campus and some of them pelted the police officers with rocks and bricks.

"Trying to avoid the bricks, I moved until I got under the pedestrian bridge.

Then I saw a crowd, some of whom wore short pants, pouring liquid on to a yellow car and two Kijang vans parked near an alley next to Tarumanegara University, Bayu said.

"They were probably trying to burn the vehicles, and from that point the mobile brigade troops positioned in the area were busy securing the cars and chasing away the mob," he explained.

After that, Bayu said he met West Jakarta Military Commander Lt. Col. Amril Amir and a uniformed army colonel at the scene.

"The situation cooled down a little bit, when suddenly I heard other shots from the Citraland direction (opposite the Trisakti complex).

The sound of the shooting was loud. It felt like the sound of live ammunition and was different from the shots fired by the police."

Prosecutor Sadji Purnomo asked the defense witness to reveal how he could identify the differences only from the sound.

"Of course I can," Bayu replied.

He said he saw Amril was also looking at the Citraland building, from where the shots were fired by unidentified people.

But Amril refused to reply when Bayu asked him who the shooters were.

"The second time I asked him (Amril) about the angry crowds who were burning things in front of Citraland, he answered 'We have put our officers there'," Bayu stated.

Before Bayu, defense lawyers presented Capt. Sutomo, deputy chief of Tanjung Duren police subprecinct in West Jakarta, who was in charge of security at the scene when the incident occurred.

Two expert witnesses, Maj. Gen. (ret) Koesparmono Irsan, a former National Police chief deputy for operational affairs, and Brig. Gen. Sutiyono, a former National Police Mobile Brigade Commander were also presented yesterday.

Koesparmono had issued Guideline on Handling Protests and Riots number 05/IV/1994 used by the National Police, while Sutiyono signed a Guideline of Procedures for Coercive Actions in Handling Riots number 02/V/1997.

According to Koesparmono, who is also a member of the National Commission On Human Rights, guideline number 05/IV/1994 rules that police company commanders on the field are given authority to take action.

After that, they have to report to their superiors. And if they are proved wrong, they could be punished. At this point, the procedures (between the police and other military forces) diverge," Koesparmono said.

In the military, the company commanders in the field have no authority to do the same thing unless they are ordered to by their superiors.

The trial has so far featured only two of the 17 defendants in the incident.

The two, First Lt. Agus Tri Heryanto and Second Lt. Pariyo, are charged with undisciplined acts for ordering their men to open fire.

Sutiyono, who is now head of the North Sumatra Police, supported Koesparmono's statement.

He said that guideline number 02/V/1997 clearly stated that police, who are deployed on the front line, are armed only with rubber, gas and blank bullets.

"Not live ammunition," Sutiyono said.

Unlike the police, the soldiers are equipped with blank, rubber and live ammunition, he said.

At the end of the session, defense lawyers called witness Salatiel Daili and asked Agus to put on an antiriot helmet to prove whether Salatiel could recognize the defendant as he told the court he could on Tuesday.

"Well... I.. I... I saw him like this," he said kneeling down on the floor and looking up at Agus' face, and people burst into laughter.

The trial was adjourned until Monday. (edt)