Newsbriefs Historical context

Newsbriefs
Historical context

The current commander of the army's special forces (Kopassus), Maj. Gen. Sriyanto, is being charged by the Attorney General for his involvement in a 1984 massacre. He is among 14 being charged for the massacre at Tanjung Priok in northern Jakarta. The government's case states that 33 persons were killed although the real toll could be higher. At the time, Sriyanto was head of the operations section of the local district military command (Kodim) whose troops fired on a crowd of demonstrators. When Sriyanto was asked by journalists whether he had violated human rights, he replied, 'Human rights only became a big thing recently. At that time there wasn't all this human rights stuff.'

Kompas 16 November 2002
Pleading poverty

Armed forces (TNI) commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto stated before a parliamentary commission on September 16 that TNI foundations earned the military at most Rp 50 billion (US$5.5 million) per year. In response to the suggestion that one foundation, Kartika Eka Paksi (YKEP), was worth Rp 32 trillion (US$3.5 billion), Endriartono laughed, 'Goodness me! If the government gives the TNI a budget of 16 trillion rupiah and our businesses are worth 32 trillion rupiah, everybody will want to be TNI commander.'

Endriartono denied that the TNI was stirring up trouble in conflict areas to boost its budget. 'Frankly, I am sick and tired of hearing accusations, while my soldiers are being killed, that they are engineering unrest for money,' he said in a high pitched voice.

Earlier in the year, an internal military report outlined a plan to relinquish TNI ownership of companies. The military also hired the accounting firm, Ernst & Young, to audit the foundations. In a press briefing in late August, Endriartono said, 'Being engaged in business is not the job of the TNI.' In their report, the auditors noted that military's businesses lacked focus, had assets whose owners were often unknown, relied too much on outsourcing practices, and were often indebted. According to Endriartono, 'The report can be accessed by the public.' What Endriartono did not clarify is that the foundations do not include all the businesses of the military.

Jakarta Post, 3 September 2002; BBC Worldwide Monitoring 17 September 2002.
Miraculous Recovery

When former president Suharto was wanted for questioning on charges of corruption two years ago, doctors judged him to be too ill to appear before the police. He was said to be confined to a wheelchair, barely able to speak, and suffering from brain damage. But on 29 October 2002 he was not only able to make a trip to Solo in Central Java, he was able to walk unaided for 200 meters and climb steps to visit the graves of his late wife and mother. He also visited his son Tommy and long-time crony Bob Hasan in prison.

Tempo 10 November 2002
Sacred Images

Two activists, Muzakkir, alias Aceh, and Nanang Mamija, became the first persons to be convicted of insulting President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah Haz. They were sentenced on October 24, 2002 to one year in prison for stomping and soiling the official pictures of the two leaders. They were charged with violating Article 134 of the Criminal Code concerning the deliberate intent to insult the president or vice president. A violation carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison.

'The pictures are supposed to be treated with honour just like other state symbols such as the symbol of Garuda,'said presiding judge Sirande Palayukan, referring to the mythical bird on the official seal of the Republic of Indonesia. 'If a certain group insults the President and the Vice President, it would spark debate among the public about their actions that could lead to divisiveness,' the judge added.

One factor that prompted the panel of judges to hand down stiff sentences was the defendants lack of remorse. Muzakkir, 21, told the court that he 'felt satisfied for pouring rotten rice on the pictures of Megawati and Hamzah because they deserved it.' He said that both Megawati and Hamzah must be made to realise how hard it is forcommon people to get a spoonful of rice. Clad in red shirts and bandannas, both defendants looked calm upon hearing the verdict.

The Jakarta Post, 25 October 2002
Military Out in 2004

The upper chamber of parliament, the MPR, during its ten-day annual session in August 2002 voted to terminate the military's presence in parliament. Presently, the military has 38 seats. The MPR had voted two years earlier to retain the military's seats until 2009. The new vote ends the military's representation in 2004.



Sydney Morning Herald 12 August 2002
Public Relations

Amid rising public suspicion toward the U.S.-led war on terrorism, the U.S. government released a series of mini-documentaries on the lives of Muslims in America. One of the films, a 10-minute movie titled 'Common Ground: Muslim Life in America,' is meant to show to the Muslim world that the U.S. allows Islam to spread and develop in the country. 'These represent an effort to reach out and bridge some gaps in communication,' U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph Boyce said in a news conference in Jakarta after a showing. He said Indonesia was given the first opportunity to watch the documentaries due in part to its status as the world's most populous Muslim country. The ambassador also said that the campaign would be aired throughout the Muslim fasting month, with several Muslim countries also airing the same campaign.

Jakarta Post 30 October 2002
Inside Indonesia 73: Jan - Mar 2003