| Subject: Attorney
General on investigating violations in ETimor and Aceh
Taken from an interview of Attorney
General Marzuki Darusman published in The Indonesian Observer on 31
December 1999
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN EAST TIMOR — At
least six senior generals are accused of masterminding the violence that
left East Timor devastated after it voted overwhelmingly for independence
on August 30.
Q: How will the findings of the
Commission of Inquiry for Human Rights Abuses (KPP HAM) be processed?
A: It will be continued to investigation
stage. KPP HAM’s report will be treated as prior evidence.
Q: Is it possible that B.J. Habibie will
be summoned?
A: He will need to be summoned when the
time comes.
Q: Are you under pressure from certain
parties at the moment?
A: No.
Q: Have people been trying to bribe you?
A: No, I think that would be useless.
Q: How do you expect the current
situation will turn out?
A: Don’t look at the situation with
theories. There were many groups who came to Komnas HAM’s office,
yelling that KPP HAM is discriminative. Others said KPP HAM is a Western
agent. All this disturbs KPP HAM’s work. I think my expectation is that
people should appreciate the KPP HAM’s presence, because it’s working
well to investigate human rights abuses in East Timor case.
Q: So it’s rubbish that KPP HAM is an
international agent?
A: There’s no evidence that we are
funded from abroad. I myself am inside the organization. What do they mean
by making such accusations? KPP HAM was established to make the generals
be tried in Indonesia. If not, they will be dragged before an
international tribunal.
Q: Some might say you defend the human
rights abusers
A: No I don’t defend them. We defend
our national system, because we have to prove whether or not it’s
effective. We are trying to brush off the stereotype that justice systems
in the third world are lousy, like how Westerners always see us. Perhaps
an Indonesian court would issue a tougher verdict than an international
tribunal.
ACEH — Human rights groups say 5,000
people were killed in Aceh during a military operation from 1989-98, and
thousands were raped or tortured.
Q: Will you launch a probe into human
rights abuses in Aceh?
A: The independent parliamentary
commission on Aceh completed its tasks one month ago. We’ll start the
investigation stage at the Attorney General’s Office.
Q: Are there indications that generals
will be named as suspects?
A: Which ones? Don’t name the
top-ranking generals as the first suspects. The suspects are those who
committed the rape, slaughter and killing. We can’t start probing those
ultimately responsible at this time. The more important thing is
investigating the suspects we already have.
Q: Will that satisfy the Acehnese people?
A: Perhaps not. So we will start with the
data they themselves report to us. We plan to establish another KPP HAM
for Aceh.
Q: What about the findings by the special
parliamentary team?
A: It’s not yet enough to start an
investigation. They discussed more about the possibility of a referendum
in Aceh.
Q: But surely they also discussed Aceh’s
status as a Military Operation Zone (DOM)?
A: As for the abuses which were caused by
the DOM, we will collect the evidence.
Q: Maybe you will encounter the same
problem as the parliamentary team did, when it summoned a number of
retired generals. They will keep saying the same old irrational arguments
A: Maybe, but the one’s who want the
KPP HAM established are the people of Aceh themselves. So don’t worry
and don’t be afraid that this case won’t be accomplished. I will keep
on going and I will maintain my commitment.
Q: Don’t you ever feel afraid?
A: Yes sometimes. But that goes with the
job, doesn’t it?
Q: Which group is out to suppress you the
most? Parallel groups around you or those from below?
A: They come from all directions, but so
far they can be tolerated. A guy like Munir [coordinator of the Commission
for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence] has far more risks than me,
and he’s okay.
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