Rights Body to Probe Soeharto Cases
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008 TWENTY-FOUR PAGES Vol. 25 No. 270 Anti-corruption Choppers used as Doctors learn lesson conference Kenya violence spreads from Soeharto saga Page 5 Page 12 Page 21 Rights body www.thejakartapost.com Italian president wraps up crisis talks to probe Italian President Giorgio Napolitano wrapped up Tues- day’s consultations with the country’s political leaders aimed at ending the uncertain- ty following Romano Prodi’s Soeharto resignation as prime minister. Center-right leader and former prime minister Silvio Berlus- coni, who is desperate to take advantage of his Forza Italia party’s opinion poll surge, told reporters he had asked cases Napolitano to call an early election. “We think that there is no other way to go than Desy Nurhayati The Tanjung Priok clash left back to the ballot box to give The Jakarta Post/ Jakarta 24 people dead and many oth- the country an operational ers injured. government as quickly as pos- mid mounting calls for During the DOM incident, sible,” he said after meeting the government to hundreds of thousands of peo- with the president. — AFP A grant Soeharto a hero ple were kidnapped and status, the National Commis- abused. Tigers say 18 killed sion on Human Rights said Ifdhal said the commission Tuesday it would continue would continue investigations in bus bombing investigations into past atroci- based on reports by previous Tamil Tiger rebels said Sri ties implicating the late for- commissioners. Lankan troops Tuesday mer president. “We will also summon wit- Antara/Rezza Estily ambushed a school bus and The commission’s chairman nesses, including military offi- WHEELS AND WATER: Two men attempt to save a motorcycle from being washed away by floodwaters on Jl. killed 18 people, including 11 Ifdhal Kasim said even though cials,”he said. Setiabudi in a hilly area of Bandung, West Java, Tuesday. Heavy rains and storms also caused trees to fall in several parts of children, as the military Soeharto had died and the Indonesian Military (TNI) the city on Tuesday. reported killing 67 militants in criminal charges against him chief Gen. Djoko Santoso two days of heavy fighting. had been halted, it did not declared last week TNI was The Liberation Tigers of Tamil mean human rights abuses willing to cooperate with the Eelam (LTTE) said a “deep that occurred during Soehar- commission to reveal human penetrating unit” of the mili- to’s term were closed. rights abuses implicating its BI governor claims innocence in tary carried out the bomb “We will continue our inves- officials. attack against the school bus tigation (on the case) and hope “We welcome TNI’s com- in the district of Mannar to finish it by early March,” mitment to cooperate with where heavy fighting has Ifdhal told Antara. us, so that there will be no graft case involving lawmakers been raging for weeks. “All “Although Soeharto, who official who refuses to be pre- the passengers in the bus was politically responsible for sent during court sessions,” The Jakarta Post sion,”Burhanuddin said. were either school children or the cases, has died, we can still Ifdhal said. Jakarta “We decided to hire the lawyers to teachers returning from a find his cronies, the ones who Soeharto died on Sunday at optimize our work because our financial sporting event,” the LTTE said organized and executed the the age of 86 and received a ank Indonesia (BI) governor report at that time got a disclaimer, in a statement. — AFP abuses,”Ifdhal said. state funeral.The Golkar Party Burhanuddin Abdullah on Tues- which affected our performance,”he said, “We will probe these people faction on Tuesday proposed to B day denied allegations he commenting on the use of Rp 68.5 billion Saudi Arabia culls and demand they be held grant Soeharto the status of a was involved in an alleged graft BI funds. responsible.” national hero. case involving House of Representatives Burhanuddin, who will end his term as thousands of birds He said the investigation Faction chairman Priyo lawmakers. BI governor on May 17, was elected BI’s Saudi authorities have would be conducted case-by- Budi Santoso said Soeharto “I am both shocked and saddened by governor in May 2003. culled nearly 160,000 birds case and would be prioritiz- was one of the nation’s the allegation ... I will hire a lawyer to House member Max Moein said KPK after a new case of the deadly ed on five major cases, includ- “best figures” who deserved settle this case,” Burhanuddin told should have named all BI officials who strain of bird flu was found ing the arrest of political the status because of his reporters from his office. attended the gubernatorial meeting as on a farm outside Riyadh, activists in Buru island dedication. “Time will tell that I am innocent.” suspects. state media said Tuesday. The between 1969 and 1979 and He said the faction would The Corruption Eradication Commis- “All of the officials, including BI senior Saudi Press Agency said the mysterious shootings — forward its proposal to Golkar sion (KPK) announced Monday that deputy governor and deputy governors, 158,000 birds were extermi- known as the Petrus case — in chairman Jusuf Kalla, who is Burhanuddin, along with BI legal affairs should have been named as suspects nated at al-Kharj, 150 km 1981 to 1985. also Vice President, for feed- director Oey Hoey Tiong and former because they made the decision collec- south of the capital, after the Other cases include the July back from the government. head of BI’s communication bureau Rusli tively,”he said. H5N1 strain of bird flu was 27, 1996 incident in Jakarta Presidential spokesman Simanjuntak, were suspects in the case “We need to see whether there is polit- found there. — Reuters involving supporters of the Andi Mallarangeng told The surrounding the misappropriation of BI ical motive behind KPK’s decision,” Indonesian Democratic Party Jakarta Post the government funds worth Rp 31.5 billion (about he said. of Struggle (PDI-P), the Tan- had yet to discuss the proposal US$3.38 million). Utomo Antara/Prasetyo However, Max, who was part of the TEXT YOUR SAY jung Priok case in 1984 and for the title of hero. Andi said Three BI officials allegedly transferred House’s commission overseeing financial the case of Military Operation the government did not see the money to various members of a House REBUTTAL: Bank Indonesia Gover- affairs in 2004, denied House members Villain or hero Areas (DOM) in Aceh and issue as a priority. commission overseeing financial affairs nor Burhanuddin Abdullah addresses a received Rp 31.5 billion from BI. Papua from the 1970s to 1990s. “The government’s priority during the amendment of the law around press conference at his office. No House members have been ques- Former president and archi- The Buru island incident is to give back everything that the central bank in 2004. tioned in connection with the funds tect the New Order regime, Soe- involved at least 10,000 politi- has been the people’s right,” The KPK alleged the three BI officials involving former BI governor and transfer case. harto, died of multiple organ fail- cal prisoners, while the Petrus he said. obtained Rp 100 billion from the Indone- deputy governors. Commenting on the case, Finance ure Sunday. Do you think Soehar- incident victimized some 5,000 “But we do not forbid any- sian Banking Development Foundation The transfer of funds was discovered Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said; “I to was a villain, a hero or both? Send your thoughts via SMS to people, who were allegedly one to propose anything, this is and transferred Rp 31.5 billion to the during an audit by the Supreme Audit believe BI has its own mechanism to set- +62 811 187 2772. Please criminals. a democratic country.” House members as a bribe to smooth the Agency (BPK) in 2006. tle the problem.” include your name and city. Petrus occurred in pro- Soeharto’s government amendment process. “Based on BI regulations, all of BI The law surrounding the bank says if vinces across Java and took 16 years to name found- Funds worth Rp 68.5 billion were strategic and principle policies are deter- BI’s governor is not able to perform, BI’s — Editor some areas in Sumatra and ing president Sukarno a used to hire some lawyers to settle mined during a collegial gubernatorial senior deputy governor will step into the Kalimantan. national hero. BI liquidity support (BLBI) cases, meeting, not based on one’s own deci- position. (adt/nkn) U.S. propped up Soeharto ‘despite rights abuses’ P.Parameswaran Archive’s Indonesia and East Timor years of his violent rule, including There also was no mention of Agence France-Presse/Washington documentation project, said the only the 1969 annexation of West Papua, human rights in Indonesia in the time Washington “decisively inter- the 1975 invasion of East Timor, and briefing papers of Soeharto’s meet- he United States declassified vened” in Indonesia was in 1998, the so-called “mysterious killings” ing with President Reagan in documents Monday detailing when it was reeling from a financial of 1983-1984. October 1982. T how Washington propped up meltdown amid unprecedented riots. The U.S. was a steadfast ally of Two years later, when Vice Presi- ex-Indonesian leader Soeharto, who Bill Clinton, the Democratic U.S. Soeharto for much of his rule, pro- dent George H. W. Bush visited died at the weekend, at the expense president at that time, phoned Soe- viding him aid, weapons and diplo- Jakarta on the heels of an alleged of democracy and human rights.