Indonesian Commission declines to question police chief candidate on human rights abuse allegations

Indonesian Commission declines to question police chief candidate on human rights abuse allegations

2010-10-14 06:07:47 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- An Indonesian Commission on law and human rights on Wednesday declined to question Timur Pradopo, the National Police chief candidate, on allegations of human rights abuse, the Jakarta Post reported.

Com. Gen. Pradopo is the sole police chief candidate and has been widely criticized for being allegedly involved in the 1998 Trisakti and Semanggi shootings which left dozens killed and hundreds more injured.

The announcement was made by Syarifudin Suding of the House of Representatives Commission III on law and human rights. Pradopo previously ignored three summonses by the National Commission when the shootings were being investigating.

"As far as I know, the incident has been tried in court and the perpetrators have been sentenced. We should respect the legal process," Suding, who is of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), said.

In 1998, Pradopo was the West Jakarta Police chief and vice commander of the Mantap Jaya III Operation. He was in charge of the security operations during the fatal incidents.

Timur's superior was Hanura's founder and chairman, Gen. Wiranto, who was then commander of the Indonesia military. Suding denied that Hanura's decision to not to question Pradopo about the 1998 incident was related to his relationship with Wiranto.

In 2001, a military court sentenced 11 low-ranking Mobile Brigade officers for shooting demonstrators during the 1998 Trisakti incident. No higher-ranked officers were ever prosecuted, despite the fact that the convicted officers have testified that they were ordered to shoot.

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