Wiranto 'morally responsible' for Timor chaos

Wiranto 'morally responsible' for Timor chaos

JAKARTA (JP): The government-sanctioned KPP HAM said on Friday
former military chief Gen. Wiranto was "morally responsible" for
the post-ballot campaign of terror and destruction in East Timor.

"It is likely that it will be recommended that Wiranto and
(Maj. Gen.) Adam Damiri be held morally responsible," the
chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights
Violations in East Timor, Albert Hasibuan, told The Jakarta Post
by phone.

"Or they could be charged with omission," he added.

Albert however refused to confirm whether Wiranto and Adam
would be among the 20 to 30 names, most of them from the
military, who would be submitted to Attorney General Marzuki
Darusman for further investigation.

"There are some 20 to 30 names, including a number of high and
middle-ranking officers and civilian officers, that will be
recommended to the Attorney General's Office for further
investigation," Albert said.

Albert was speaking during a break in a meeting of the
commission to finalize its report and recommendations. The
meeting is due to end on Saturday and KPP HAM is scheduled to
announce the results of its report on Monday.

Adam was chief of the Bali-based Udayana Military Command,
which oversaw security in East Timor, when the self-determination
referendum was held in the former Indonesian province in August.

Wiranto is currently Coordinating Minister for Political
Affairs and Security.

Meanwhile, former justice minister Muladi said he had advised
Wiranto to resign his ministerial post if he was named in the
inquiry's report.

According to Muladi, who is coordinating the defense team for
senior military officers questioned by the inquiry, this would
allow Wiranto to fully concentrate on the case without having his
attention diverted by other matters.

However, he stressed that any decision would be up to Wiranto
himself.

"If Pak Wiranto resigns it must not be because of pressure by
anyone, or even because the KPP HAM investigation has cornered
the military," he said during an interview with The Australian.

"Anyway, whichever way Wiranto decides, the TNI (Indonesian
Military) legal defense team will back him up," he added.

Former home affairs minister Syarwan Hamid also said that if
named in the report Wiranto should focus all of his attention on
his defense.

He also stressed that if Wiranto resigned it should not be due
to outside pressure, but of his own accord.

Leading human rights activist Munir, who is also a member of
KPP HAM, said last week the inquiry would likely verify the
military's involvement in the post-ballot violence in the
territory.

He said the inquiry had found evidence that military personnel
were either involved in or failed to prevent the violence.

Jakarta has objected to the proposed establishment of a United
Nations rights inquiry on East Timor, saying it is capable of
investigating allegations of atrocities and human rights abuses
itself and will not be bound by any UN findings.

Marzuki said earlier that if KPP HAM found evidence of rights
abuses an ad hoc committee would be established to prosecute the
perpetrators in a national human rights tribunal. (byg/rms)