INDONESIA: EMBARRASSED INDONESIAN PRESIDENT WAHID BERATES HIS POLICE FORCE FOR RELEASING 6 SUSPECTS IN MURDER OF UN AID WORKER IN WEST TIMOR

Record ID: 443027

  • Title: INDONESIA: EMBARRASSED INDONESIAN PRESIDENT WAHID BERATES HIS POLICE FORCE FOR RELEASING 6 SUSPECTS IN MURDER OF UN AID WORKER IN WEST TIMOR
  • Date: 23rd September 2000
  • Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (SEPTEMBER 23, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. SLV INDONESIAN PRESIDENT ABDURRAHMAN WAHID WALKING IN 0.09 2. MV/CU/SLV GENERAL SUROYO BIMANTORO, NEW POLICE CHIEF, SALUTING WAHID (3 SHOTS) 0.37 3. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) WAHID SAYING: "But last night, there was a shocking news from Atambua that the 6 suspects of the killing of UNHCR workers have been released after they were being questioned." 1.17 4. MV POLICE OFFICERS LISTENING TO WAHID 1.23 5. VARIOUS BIMANTORO SIGNING APPOINTMENT LETTER/ SHAKING HANDS (3 SHOTS) 1.39 6. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARZUKI DARUSMAN SAYING: "There are two events here that we are talking about. One is the Olivio Mendoza killing, linking this with seven possible suspects that we understand have now been apprehended and the other one is the killings of the three UNHCR personnel. We have 6 suspects. And altogether, of the 13 at least one is linked to the military. We are still verifying that and we are also in the process of establishing to what extent was the involvement of the military known by the military or was he part of the group that was involved in the killings." 2.46 7. EXTERIOR OF HOSPITAL 2.54 8. CU SIGN - HOSPITAL'S NAME 3.02 9. VARIOUS OF SECURITY OUTSIDE HOSPITAL (2 SHOTS) 3.15 10. VARIOUS FORMER INDONESIAN PRESIDENT SUHARTO ON A WHEELCHAIR BEING TAKEN OUT OF THE HOSPITAL/ BOARDS CAR (4 SHOTS) 3.58 11. MV/SLV JOURNALISTS/ SECURITY/ VAN LEAVES (2 SHOTS) 4.15 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 8th October 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVACKYGWNKFTOBCG2ZOLW6GB2K6H
  • Story Text: An embarrassed Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid
    has berated his police force for releasing six suspects in the
    murder of U.N. aid workers in West Timor, saying it would
    further damage the country's image.

    Wahid made the statement as former president Suharto
    checked out of a hospital following a crucial medical test
    that will determine if he is fit enough to stand his landmark
    corruption trial.



    An angry Wahid made the statement during the
    installation of the country's new police chief, General Suroyo
    Bimantoro, at the presidential palace in capital Jakarta on
    Saturday (September 23).

    "There was a shocking news from Atambua that the 6
    suspects of the killing of UNHCR workers have been released
    after they were being questioned," said Wahid who added that
    the release was embarrassing for the country.

    The embarrassment over the release of the suspects
    underscores concerns that the country's first democratically
    elected president cannot control his wayward security forces,
    elements of which have been accused of trying to undermine his
    roller-coaster 11-month rule.

    The government faces heavy international pressure to end
    the violence plaguing the border with East Timor, blamed on
    Indonesian military-backed militias who operate with near
    impunity out of refugee camps in the Indonesian half of Timor
    island.

    Indonesia said on Thursday (September 21) that some of
    its soldiers might have been involved in the murder of three
    foreign United Nations aid workers who were hacked to death
    during a militia-led mob attack earlier this month in the
    border town of Atambua.

    The murders sparked an international outcry and warnings
    that vital foreign aid could be held up until the gangs were
    brought under control.

    At a news conference after the ceremony, Wahid said the
    sacking of the previous police chief, Rusdihardjo, proved that
    the government had the political will to address the problem.

    "The decision to replace the police chief shows that we
    are able to replace anyone by any means to settle this
    problem."
    Earlier this week, Wahid sacked his national police
    chief for ignoring an order to arrest the youngest son of
    disgraced former President Suharto.

    He had demanded the arrest of Hutomo (Tommy) Mandala
    Putra following a huge bomb blast in Jakarta which killed 15
    people on the eve of the resumption of the former leader's
    corruption trial.

    Wahid said Bimantoro had been due to be formally
    installed on Monday (September 25) but the ceremony was
    brought forward.

    The sudden sacking of Rusdihardjo has raised eyebrows in
    Indonesia's increasingly feisty parliament which is irritated
    by Wahid's tendency to make major decisions without consulting
    legislators.

    Wahid is due to discuss the issue with parliament on
    Monday.

    But Wahid said he explained his reasons to his vice
    president -- who controls the largest number of seats in
    parliament -- and to the Speaker. He did not, however, say
    what their response had been.

    Also present during the ceremony was Attorney-General
    Marzuki Darusman who will be investigating the Atambua
    murders.

    "There are two events here that we are talking about.

    One is the Olivio Mendoza killing, linking this with seven
    possible suspects that we understand have now been apprehended
    and the other one is the killings of the three UNHCR
    personnel. We have 6 suspects. And altogether, of the 13 at
    least one is linked to the military. We are still verifying
    that and we are also in the process of establishing to what
    extent was the involvement of the military known by the
    military or was he part of the group that was involved in the
    killings," said Darusman.

    Wahid has rejected attempts by the U.N. Security Council
    to send a mission to discuss the killings, saying Indonesia
    must have a chance to resolve the case by itself.

    He told foreign reporters on Friday that though he was
    still battling rogue military officers, he was gaining the
    upper hand and predicted he would be in complete control of
    the world's fourth most populous country by the end of the
    year.

    The East Timorese militias fled across the border a year
    ago, forcing hundreds of thousands of refugees with them,
    after most of the impoverished territory voted to end 23 years
    of often brutal Indonesian rule.

    Also on Saturday, former President Suharto checked out
    of a Jakarta hospital after ten hours of crucial medical
    examination by an independent team of doctors.

    The tests will determine whether Suharto is fit to
    attend his landmark corruption trial.

    Seventy-nine-year-old Suharto was Indonesia's autocratic
    ruler for 32 years until he was forced to step down amid
    widening political and economic crisis in 1998. He has failed
    to show up so far at either session of his trial, on the
    grounds of ill-health.

    Security was tight outside the Pertamina Hospital in
    South Jakarta following days of street brawls involving
    anti-Suharto demonstrators and the police.

    Suharto's doctors have said he is too ill to attend his
    trial following a number of strokes.

    The examination had been expected to take two days. A
    member of the medical team declined to say why it had ended
    sooner.

    Suharto is charged with embezzling around 550 million
    U.S. dollars from charities he controlled.

    His trial opened on August 31 and is scheduled to
    reconvene on September 28 when the independent medical team
    will report their findings to the judge.

    Under Indonesian law, it is up to the judge to decide
    whether the defendant must appear or not.


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