Letter to the Editor

TNI Defends Sjafrie's Role in E. Timor, May '98 Protests report

TNI Clarifies

With reference to a report in The Jakarta Post of April 15, under the title Controversy as Sjafrie given key defense post, we deem it necessary to correct or clarify two points.

The points are related to the following paragraph: "Sjafrie was Jakarta Military commander when the capital was hit by ethnic riots that led to ouster of former dictator Soeharto in May 1998. Thousands died in the rampage.Sjafrie also served in East Timor when widespread violence broke out after the
autonomy plebiscite in 1999."

Our correction is as follows: First, in connection with the report in the Post that Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin was involved in the mass riots in East Timor. We would like to clarify that during the plebiscite in East Timor in
1999, Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin was never assigned in East Timor.

Between 1999 and 2000, Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin was an expert staffer in political and security affairs of the commander-in-chief of the Indonesian Military (TNI) domiciled in Jakarta.

Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin was present in East Timor after the plebiscite the context of the working visit of the commander-in-chief of the TNI to Dili Airport on Sept. 17, 1999 and not in the context of any assignment of any longer period.

Second, we would like to make a clarification in connection with the news report that mentions there were thousands of victims of the mass riots in May 1998 in Jakarta and that this was connected with the position of Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as the commander of Jakarta garrison.

An investigation is needed to verify the correctness of the report that there were thousands of victims in the riots as otherwise the report is just an assumption. A proper investigation would prevent prejudice against the TNI as an institution or toward individuals within the TNI.

The confirmed and verified data about the dead regards the scores of looters that broke into Yogya Shopping Center in Klender on May 14, 1998, and were trapped inside when a fire broke out and were burned to death.

Apart from these looters, there were no other lives lost as a result of the action taken by security apparatus. To prove any other deaths, further clarification of the data regarding any incidents that took place is needed.

We deem it necessary to raise these two points so that the public will not be misled by the news report referred to above and can better understand it.

SUPAMA, Information Analysis Service Information Center of TNI, Jakarta

Note : Thank you for your clarification.