Suwarjono, Jakarta – Not enough people are being investigated by police over the July 27 case1. Police must also investigate the general chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), President Megawati Sukarnoputri, because she left her supporters to be attacked.

This was revealed to journalists by the former chairperson of Student Solidarity for Indonesian Democracy (Solidaritas Mahasiswa Indonesia untuk Demokrasi, SMID), Andi Arif, a press conference at the Vanezia coffee shop at the Taman Ismail Marzuki arts centre in Jakarta on Wednesday June 9.

“She [Megawati] had information that there would be an attack by security forces on the PDI [Indonesian Democratic Party, later named PDI-P] headquarters. However this info was not passed on to her supporters. Megawati [just] left her supporters to be attacked by security forces”, said Arif.

A victim of the abductions in 19982, he also said that there is something strange about the reinvestigation of the case at this time because to date the case has just been forgotten and left without any clear resolution.

“What’s more, its being conducted in the middle of a mass campaign [for the presidency], this indicates that Megawati is using [her] authority and power for the sake of getting ordinary people’s support and sympathy. On the other hand, she is moving to keep her political opponent from winning, that is SBY [former coordinating minister for politics and security and Democratic Party presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] who was chief of staff of the Jakarta military command at that time”, said Arif.

Arif admitted however, that accusations over the involvement of SBY in the July 27 case are not incorrect. He believes that as the chief of staff of the Jakarta military command at the time SBY must have known about the plan to attack the PDI headquarters.

“In terms of the chain of command SBY is involved. As chief of staff of the Jakarta military command at the time it impossible that [he] was not part of the [command] structure [which planned] the attack, so he must also be investigated. Moreover, if [Megawati] want’s to be genuine about it, [former President] Suharto must also be a suspect because it was him who ordered it”, said Arif accusingly. (djo)

Notes:

1. Following weeks of protests at the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters in Central Jakarta by pro-Megawati PDI supporters after the Suharto regime engineered Megawati’s removal as the party’s democratically elected chairperson, on July 27, 1966, paid thugs backed by the military attacked and destroyed the PDI offices resulting in the death of as many as 50 people. Popular outrage at the attack sparked several days of mass rioting and violent clashes with police. Many had hoped that with Megawati’s ascendancy to the presidency those responsible would be held accountable however Megawati and other leading party figures have publicly distanced themselves (refusing to attend annual commemorations) from the issue. Those who were eventually brought to trial in late 2003 have all been low ranking soldiers or civilians and have either been acquitted for lack of evidence or given light sentences. None of those believed to have organised or led the attack have been brought to trial.

2. Between 1997 and 1998 as many as 14 pro-democracy activists were abducted by members of the elite special forces Kopassus. After extended periods of detention – in many cases the victims were severely tortured – most were released although four remain missing and are presumed dead.

[Translated by James Balowski.]