Jakarta – The abduction of political activists were not ordered by the Armed Forces' (ABRI) top brass, but were carried out because of then Army Special Force (Kopassus) chief Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto's interpretation of his superiors' instructions, the Officers Honor Council (DKP) concluded yesterday.
Council chairman Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo told a media conference that Prabowo's instructions were only to "monitor" the activists' moves, especially in Jakarta. "It was Prabowo's own interpretation which led to the decision to kidnap the activists," Subagyo said after chairing a hearing of the seven-member council with Prabowo at the Army headquarters on Jl. Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta. Prabowo had reportedly acted on his own initiative and had been given autonomy by his superiors to maintain stability with whatever means he deemed necessary.
Subagyo, also the Army chief of staff, however, said the council would still need to cross-check Prabowo's testimony with those of other officers and witnesses.
Subagyo denied speculation that there had been two different orders – each given by then Armed Forces commander Gen. (ret.) Feisal Tanjung and Army chief of staff Gen. Wiranto – regarding the military campaign to control the activists, a situation which led to confusion on Prabowo's part. "That's not true," he said. He said the questioning would continue today, but did not indicate who would appear before the council.
Riding in a dark green Land Rover, Prabowo arrived at 8:20 a.m. at the Army headquarters in full uniform for his questioning. The hearing, which was held in closed chambers started at 9 a.m. and ended at about 3:30 p.m. A horde of reporters, both foreign and domestic, were prevented from entering the compound and had to wait across the street.
Also testifying as witnesses yesterday were Col. Chairawan the former chief of Kopassus' Group of Intelligence Operations, and members of the Armed Forces fact-finding team, including its chief, National Military Police Chief Maj. Gen. Syamsu Djalal.
Other team members testifying were assistant for intelligence affairs for the Armed Forces chief of general affairs Rear Adm. Berty Ekel; chief military prosecutor Maj. Gen. Timur P. Manurung; and assistant for security affairs to the Armed Forces chief of general affairs Maj. Gen. Marwan Paris.
Prabowo, together with his successor Maj. Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono and Col. Chairawan, is now under intensive investigation by the ABRI initiated council for his alleged role in the kidnappings and torture of political activists.
Many of the activists critical of former president Soeharto disappeared in the run-up to the general session of the People's Consultative Assembly last March. Analysts said the mission was an all-out campaign to maintain Soeharto's power. The Assembly reelected Soeharto for a seventh consecutive term at the time.
Some of those missing have since reappeared. One by one, they have come forward to tell of their ordeals. In each case the activists were made to suffer torture often used by the military to extract confessions. Only nine of the missing activists, however, have returned home. The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), which is conducting its own investigation into the abductions, believes that 12 others are still missing.
[On August 12 Associated Press quoted Army chief of staff, General Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, who heads the tribunal, as saying "Prabowo has admitted wrongdoing, and will take responsibility". Subagyo did not say whether the troops accused of kidnapping were under Prabowo's command at the time - James Balowski.]