Triono Wahyu Sudibyo, Semarang – Golkar Party vice-presidential candidate Salahuddin Wahid will soon be launch a VCD titled “Gus Solah [Salahuddin’s nickname] responds”. The launch will be a clarification to counter all of the accusations of gross human rights violations by [Golkar presidential candidate former armed forces chief] Wiranto.

“There has been news that a number of pesantren [Islamic boarding schools] have received books about Wiranto’s human rights violations. I am surprised as to why these books are being distributed now. Clearly it has political backing”.

This was related by Gus Solah in his address to meeting of Central Java Ulamas [Islamic religious leaders] at the East Java regional headquarters of the National Awakening Party on Jalan Walisongo in Semarang on Thursday June 3.

“There has not yet been a legal ruling which has declared Wiranto as being guilty. He has never been a defendant in any single case. Either the case of human rights violations in East Timor, Trisakti-Semanggi1 or May”, said Solah.

The former deputy-director of the National Human Rights commission rejected the view that he was Wiranto’s “washing machine”. I am not Wiranto’s washing machine. I only represent a counterbalance against public opinion which suspects my partner [Wiranto] has been involved in human rights violations”, he explained. (ton)

Notes:

1. On May 12, 1998, security personnel shot into a crowd of student protesters from the Trisakti University near their campus in West Jakarta, killing four students and injuring several. This proved to be the spark which set-off three days of mass demonstrations and rioting in Jakarta which eventually lead to the overthrow of former President Suharto. Similar incidents occurred on in November 1998 and September 1999 when troops opened fire on demonstrators from the Atmajaya University in Jakarta using rubber bullets and live ammunition in the area of Semanggi, South Jakarta, resulting in the death of dozens of student demonstrators.

[Translated by James Balowski.]