LAKSAMANA.Net, November 23, 2003 10:38 PM
Review - Politics: Party Thugs
Laksamana.Net - President Megawati Sukarnoputri branded Tuesday (18/11/03) some
members of her own party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), as
"thugs" who are out of touch with voters.
"There are legislators who have never gone back to their constituencies, let alone fight
for their causes," Megawati told PDI-P leaders at the start of the party's national
convention in Jakarta.
"Why have I been lied to?" she said, adding that senior party leaders had been paid
off or were "involved in money politics" to keep silent about corrupt members. She
vowed to fire anyone she finds to be involved in corruption or a cover-up.
"I like being the head of PDI-P, but I am tired of looking out for these thugs," she said.
A day earlier senior party member Cabinet minister Kwik Kian Gie had denounced
PDI-P as corrupt, and predicted it would be hard hit in the polls next year.
The party has excluded outspoken party members from its list of legislative
candidates for the 2004 elections.
Staunch critics of the party such as Meilono Suwondo, Arifin Panigoro and Haryanto
Taslam, all current members of the House of Representative, have been left off the list,
which will be signed by Megawati on December 7 before being submitted to the
General Elections Commission.
Arifin, Meilono, and Haryanto are known for their opposition to party chairwoman
Megawati, who is also the President.
"I know that these men, who seem to be very outspoken in the newspapers and claim
to defend the people's aspirations, have failed to win the support of their constituents,"
Megawati said.
Her brother Guruh Sukarnoputra and husband Taufik Kiemas are on the list of
candidates, despite their poor attendance at the House in their current term as
legislators.
"They enjoy the support of constituents and they were nominated by more than one
province. I don't think there is anything wrong with their presence in the House,"
deputy secretary-general, Pramono Anung Wibowo said.
Time off for Tommy
Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the youngest son of former president Suharto, and
the latter's crony Mohamad "Bob" Hasan, are among some 35,000 convicts out of
84,000 who will get remissions for the upcoming Idul Fitri holiday. Presidential Decree
No. 174/1999 allows for remission on holidays such as Idul Fitri and Christmas and
Independence Day.
Both are serving out their sentences in a Nusakambangan island prison off the Central
Java coast.
The Director General of Penitentiaries announced Wednesday (19/11/03) that Tommy
would be granted a one-and-a-half month reduction in his prison term and Hasan
would get a two-month reduction. Tommy was jailed in July 2002 for masterminding
the assassination of Supreme Court Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, illegal
possession of firearms and fleeing justice.
Hasan, jailed in February last year, has already had his sentence reduced by five
months off for good behavior.
FPI Leader Freed
Muslim militant Habib Rizieq Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI) was
released from jail Wednesday (19/11/03) after serving a seven-month jail term.
He had been convicted and sentenced in August, but judges lopped off four months for
time he had already spent in custody.
Rizieq, jailed for organizing attacks on Jakarta nightclubs and restaurants, told a
300-strong crowd of his supporters outside Jakarta's Salemba Prison that he would
keep fighting to impose Islamic law in the country and rid the capital of nightclubs,
discos and gambling dens.
"I will continue my attacks on corrupt officials who give protection to these places of
sin like nightclubs and gambling dens," Rizieq said, though not actually saying he
would directly attack such establishments.
The front had become notorious in the last four years for sweeps through the capital's
entertainment districts, breaking windows and smashing liquor bottles.
It disbanded after last year's Bali bombings that killed 202 people, but it has recently
claimed to have regrouped. Although it warned of renewed attacks during this month's
Muslim holy month of Ramadhan, as yet there have been no repeats of the previous
attacks.
Massive Lebaran Security Presence
The Ministry of Communications estimates that 18.8 million Indonesians across the
country will return to their hometowns for Idul Fitri or Lebaran, which falls on November
25 and November 26.
Police are to deploy 124,635 personnel nationwide to boost security for the travelers.
Over 82,000 police will be stationed in seven provinces -- Lampung (3,915), West Java
(15,096), Jakarta (15,026), Central Java (16,209), East Java (19,952), Yogyakarta
(5,284) and Bali (6,800). In West Java police will be assisted by 3,018 army troops.
The remaining 42,352 extra police will be spread across the rest of the country.
Operation Rice Cake (Operasi Ketupat), as police have named the security operation,
will see major trunk roads in Java and Sumatra split into segments, each with a police
guard.
The police will also secure strategic locations such as airports, seaports and foreign
embassies to prevent terrorist attacks, said. National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.
Texmaco Lawsuit Thrown Out
The Central Jakarta district court on Wednesday (19/11/03) threw out a lawsuit filed
by Texmaco chief Marimutu Sinivasan against Tempo magazine.
Sinivasan, struggling to save his massive, debt-ridden conglomerate, had demanded
$51 million in compensation from Tempo over stories published between December
19, 1999, and December 6, 2000, that claimed Sinivasan had caused 18 companies
in the Texmaco Group to suffer material losses.
Tempo editor-in-chief Bambang Harymurti hailed the court's decision as a victory for
the Indonesian press though Tempo's counter suit had also been thrown out.
"With this verdict, the judge has protected the Indonesian press," he said, adding that
he was delighted to know that the judges had bravely defended press freedom. "Thus,
our fellow journalists need not worry about reporting on misuse of public funds,"
Harymurti said.
TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said Thursday that Texmaco's factory, which
produces trucks and buses, could be retooled to manufacture military equipment such
as armored vehicles and tanks. He said that he had mooted the idea to the president
and was waiting her response.
"For me it would be much better if we could use the factory, which could profit the
government..." Sutarto said.
Rais Explains All
Amien Rais, speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly and a presidential
hopeful, explained Thursday (20/11/03) why he believes President Megawati
Sukarnoputri should go.
"If we want to see change we have to change the present leadership into a better one,
meaning more productive, more visionary, less corrupt or not corrupt at all," said Rais.
Rais, addressing a political forum organized by the Information Ministry, said he
believed the introduction of direct presidential elections next year would be a catalyst
for change.
Rais heads the National Mandate Party (PAN) and is a former head of the country's
second largest Islamic social organization, Muhammadiyah.
But he said: "If I base my political support only on Muslims it's a foregone conclusion
that I will lose."
"I want to reach out to different strata of our society," he explained.
Kopassus Chief Must Stand Trial
The current Special Forces (Kopassus) chief Maj. Gen. Sriyanto Muntarsan must
stand trial for crimes against humanity over a massacre that took place almost 20
years ago, the country's human rights court ruled Thursday (20/11/03) .
Judges rejected defense claims that the retroactive principle -- under which the rights
court established in 2000 hears earlier cases -- breaches the law and that the court
had no right to put Muntarsan on trial.
"The indictment of the prosecutors meets the requirements and is clear and complete.
And furthermore, the ad hoc human rights court at the Central Jakarta district court
has both the authority and the competence to hear the case," Judge Herman Heler
Hutapea ruled.
Muntarsan, now 52, is charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a crowd of
Muslim protesters in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, 1984.
Prosecutors say Muntarsan's troops shot into the crowd in September 1984 without
first firing warning shots. At least 10 people died and the shootings continued as
protesters fled, the indictment said.
An investigation by the National Commission on Human Rights found at least 24
people were killed.
More than 100 Kopassus soldiers and other members of the powerful military packed
the court in a show of support for the general.
In addition to Muntarsan, two retired generals, an army captain and 10 private soldiers
accused over the massacre are on trial separately.
The hearing was adjourned to December 11.
New Ambassadors Inaugurated
The President installed 14 new ambassadors Thursday (20/11/03) , including those to
Australia and Russia, which have been vacant for months.
Former deputy chief of the mission of the Indonesian embassy in Canberra, Imron
Cotan, was appointed as the new ambassador to Australia. His main 'competitor' for
that post, former chief editor of The Jakarta Post Susanto Pudjomartono, is destined
for colder climes with his inauguration as envoy to Russia.
"The President asked me to hold talks with the Indonesian Military chief and officials
at the Ministry of Defense to discuss the country's plan to purchase more
Russian-made Sukhoi warplanes," Susanto said after the ceremony.
Both slots have been vacant for almost a year, because a new regulation in the
amended 1945 Constitution requires the recommendation of the House of
Representatives.
Before that the right to appoint the country's representative or to accept foreign
ambassadors was the prerogative of the president.
Under the new ruling, all ambassadorial candidates must pass the House screening
test, which includes reciting their 'mission statement' to House members.
International diplomatic custom suggests an ambassadorial post should not be vacant
for more than three months.
Other ambassadors inaugurated on the same day included those for Denmark,
Greece, Qatar, the Vatican and Vietnam.
Former National Police chief Gen. (ret) Roesihardjo was installed as the country's
ambassador to Malaysia.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said the government is planning to
reduce the number of the country's representative offices around the globe in an effort
to enhance the performance of its diplomatic missions. Restructuring the
representative offices could mean the closure of diplomatic missions deemed no
longer beneficial.
"We will utilize our representative offices to the maximum effect, but we are still
assessing which offices we would like to restructure," Hassan said after a ceremony
to inaugurate the new Indonesian envoys.
"However, the trend is to reduce the number of offices as we find no need to open new
representative offices," the minister said.
Indonesia currently has 119 representative offices, including embassies, consulate
generals and consulates, in about 70 countries.
Samudra Appeals
Imam Samudra, convicted and sentenced to death by firing squad for his part in the
Bali bombing is to appeal to the Supreme Court, notwithstanding the latter's rejection
of an earlier appeal.
"Samudra said he must fight the decision because it was not based on Islamic law,"
lawyer Qadhar Faisal told Agence France-Presse Thursday. "After all legal avenues
have been exhausted, he will accept the death penalty."
Samudra, 33, is the second key bomber on death row to have his appeal rejected by
the Bali High Court.
Amrozi, the other man convicted, is also appealing to the Supreme Court though he
had said he would welcome death as bringing him closer to God.
A third bomber, Mukhlas, is also on death row and has also said he will appeal.
Victims Reject Reconciliation
Victims of human rights abuses demonstrated peacefully on Wednesday at the
House of Representatives to show their displeasure at the proposed bill on a Truth and
Reconciliation Commission.
The members of Solidarity for Victims of Human Rights Abuses said they wanted
justice; the only thing that could prevent future rights abuses.
"Real justice will be obtained through a democratic human rights trial," said protest
leader Mugiyanto, who was himself a victim of an involuntary disappearance during the
Suharto era.
The protesters said they represented victims of four rights abuse cases: The Tanjung
Priok massacre in Jakarta in 1984, involuntary disappearances in 1997/1998, the May
riots in 1998 and the Trisakti and Semanggi shootings in Jakarta in 1998.
They claimed the bill on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that is currently
being debated only regulated the technicalities of the establishment of the
commission, not the substance of justice.
They protesters raised posters carrying photos of several police and military officers,
including Dibyo Widodo (former National Police chief), Djaja Suparman (former Jakarta
Military chief), Hamami Nata (former police chief), Nugroho Djajusman (former Jakarta
Police chief), Wiranto (former military chief), Roesmanhadi (former police chief) and
Hendardji (former military police chief).
Under each photo were the words: "They must be held accountable."
Article 42 of the bill stipulates that human rights abuses already 'settled' by the
commission cannot be brought to trial in a court of law.
Priok Witness Describes Abuse
A witness testifying in the Tanjung Priok rights trial told the court on Wednesday that
she was abducted and stripped naked by soldiers during her detention following the
bloody 1984 shooting incident.
Aminatun, the only female witness from among the victims testifying in the trial of
Maj. Gen. (ret) Rudolph Butar-Butar, alleged that she was abducted from her home by
five military personnel and was stripped naked by female Army personnel during her
interrogation at the Central Jakarta military district command.
She also alleged that the five military personnel who arrested her at her home in
Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, stole her personal belongings.
Aminatun said she and six others were taken away without an arrest warrant in the
early hours of September 14, 1984, two days after the shootings.
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