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)