Army won't interfere with rights abuses delve: Chief

Lilian Budianto , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 04/17/2008 11:17 AM | National

The Indonesian Army chief said Thursday the military would not interfere with a human rights investigation of past atrocities in Talangsari, Lampung, that may implicate several retired Army generals.

"This is a democratic country. We will follow the prevailing regulations," said Gen. Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo after presiding over a ceremony to observe the 56th anniversary of the Army's Special Force in Cijantung, East Jakarta.

The National Commission on Human Rights is set to file a request with the Central Jakarta District Court to subpoena Gen. (ret) A.M. Hendropriyono, the Lampung military commander when the incident took place in 1989, for questioning.

Hendropriyono skipped the first summons scheduled for Feb. 22 and second on March 3. The former National Intelligence Agency chief, however, said he had never received the summonses. He also insisted the military action in Talangsari was for a state duty to quell separatism.

Commissioner Johny Nelson Simanjuntak said the rights body would also file a similar request for then Armed Forces chief Gen. (ret) Try Sutrisno and then Army Special Force commander Gen. (ret) Wismoyo Arismunandar, who both failed to turn up for questioning earlier this month.

"We will exercise the use of force if they keep ignoring our summonses," Johny said.

The 1999 law on human rights authorizes the commission to summon any witness for questioning after approval from the district court.

The Talangsari incident in 1989 sparked debate when Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono suggested the retired generals ignore the summonses, saying the rights commission had no authority to do it because the human rights law was not made retroactive.

However, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono later backed the commission's efforts, instructing all related government institutions to support any investigation or examination into alleged crimes against humanity conducted by the rights body.

The Talangsari incident refers to a dawn attack by a battalion of Army soldiers on the village, which was believed to be home to a group, led by Warsidi, accused of attempting to establish an Indonesian Islamic state.

Officials said 27 members of the Warsidi-led Koran recital group were killed in the incident, but rights groups put the death toll as high as 246.