The Jakarta Post
December 1, 2001
Bagir delays ad hoc tribunal against rights violators
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite pressure to bring to justice high-ranking officials suspected
of
involvement in a number of human rights violation cases, Chief Justice
Bagir
Manan said on Friday that the ad hoc human rights tribunal would be delayed
until early next year due to the long holidays.
"It is something that we had failed to foresee, that there would
be such a
long holiday in December -- Idul Fitri, Christmas, and the New Year.
"Many people, including court officials, will be on leave during
the holiday
season, so we decided to start the trial next year," Bagir told reporters
at
his office.
When asked whether the long-awaited ad hoc tribunal would start in January
2002, Bagir said: "God willing, we hope to try these cases as soon
as
possible."
Justice Benyamin Mangkoedilaga, head of the team in charge of screening
the
judges for both the ad hoc and permanent tribunals, had previously given
assurances that the ad hoc tribunal would start sitting in December after
being delayed several times.
The ad hoc tribunal is being set up to try people suspected of being
involved
in human rights violations in the 1984 bloodshed at Tanjung Priok, North
Jakarta, and the 1999 post-ballot violence in East Timor.
The permanent tribunal is set to try rights abuses committed after November
2000.
To ensure impartiality, the Supreme Court has said there would be no
police
or military officers appointed as judges.
The Attorney General's Office has thus far declared three high-ranking
military officers as suspects in the East Timor mayhem. They are former
Udayana Military Commander Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri and former Wiradharma
Military Resort commanders Brig. Gen. Tono Suratman and Brig. Gen. A.
Nur
Muis.
Meanwhile, the senior Army officers who have reportedly been named as
suspects in the Tanjung Priok incident are former Armed Forces chief Gen.
(ret) Benny Moerdani and former vice president Try Sutrisno.
Bagir further said he had handed over 30 names to be appointed as ad
hoc
judges to President Megawati Soekarnoputri for approval.
"Soon after the President issues the decree appointing these 30
as ad hoc
judges, we can proceed with the trials," Bagir said.