Former Generals Prosecuted
Wednesday, 16 April, 2008 | 15:49 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) will submit a proposal to the court to call former officials of the Indonesian military involved in human rights violations. “We submit this proposal to the state court of central Jakarta,” said Johny Nelson Simanjuntak, a member of the Commission, yesterday, in Jakarta.

Nelson said the investigation will be related to the human rights case in Talangsari, Lampung in 1998. Based on regulation No. 39 year 1999 Article 95, Komnas has authority to call the suspect for unconditional reasons.

Yoseph Adhi Prasetyo, another member of Komnas, said that they will follow the official procedure to do this investigation. Komnas will call AM Hendropriyono to be investigated after he refused to appear twice on February 22nd and March 3rd. Hendropriyono is commander of regiment 043 Black Garuda, in Lampung attacking the Islamic group of Warsidi.

Another former high official of the Indonesian military that will be prosecuted is Try Sutrisno. He was called on February 29th and refused to come.

The commission will send a third request to Hendro to appear. “We will discuss the time for this investigation tomorrow (today),” said Yoseph. “This will be his last chance to fulfill the request,” he said again. Otherwise the commission will force him to appear.

Indonesian military commander, General Djoko Santoso, agreed for the commission to force the suspect to come for the investigation. “It is what the commission should do,” he said after attending the political coordinating meeting at the office of Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs yesterday.

An attorney, Hendarman Supandji was certain that forcing the suspect to come is the commission's right. “In order to continue the investigation.”

The commission categorizes this case as a serious violation of human rights. The government reported 27 people died in this case. The committee for student solidarity in Lampung and the team for the Talangsari case investigation reported 246 people died. The commission expects to complete the investigation in June.

The commission has asked for information from hundreds of witnesses. Among former military officials, there was only Sudomo, former Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs who agreed to give information.

The commission plans also to investigate police and the regional apparatus knowing about this incident. “They are now working in various places,” said Nelson.

The commission has reported the barriers in their investigation process to the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva on 7-12 April 2008. Yoseph said the obstacles include the rejection from former military officials in giving information. The statement from Defense Minister, Juwono, suggesting generals not to fulfill the commission's request is one example of the obstacles.

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