Vaudine England, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid has found a way to secure the retirement from the military of generals he appointed to his cabinet.
But critics say General Wiranto, now Co-ordinating Minister for Politics and Security, may yet evade prosecution over allegations of human rights abuses while he was armed forces chief.
Mr Wahid signed a decree to require the retirement of the generals holding ministerial positions in civilian government.
The step is a subtle loyalty test for the generals just when rumours of the army old guard's mounting frustration with Mr Wahid's unwieldy democracy have sparked warnings against any coup attempts.
"This letter was signed on Sunday. When it takes effect depends on Gus Dur [President Wahid] himself as the highest commander of the armed forces," a senior military officer said.
The decree also covers the retirement from the armed forces of Mines and Energy Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Transport Minister Agum Gumelar and Administrative Reform Minister Freddy Numberi.
Friends of General Wiranto confirmed that the decree to end his military career had been signed, thereby weakening his support base in any ensuing power struggle between the civilian Government and the military old guard.
"Actually, it was Wiranto who did it," said one, who explained that each officer would be pensionable in the month of their birthday this year.
"I don't see any resentment from Wiranto," the friend said. "It's his own policy anyway, to retire from the military. Only the timing is inopportune."
This is a reference to the investigation into General Wiranto's responsibility for the participation of his troops and their Timorese allies in an orgy of destruction in East Timor after it voted for independence on August 30.
"There is talk about how Wiranto could find himself getting pardoned," reported a military source.
Others say the draft of a law intended to create a human rights court is more likely to get General Wiranto off the hook.
"A draft law shortly to be submitted to Indonesia's Parliament on the creation of a human rights court has been deliberately framed so as to protect Indonesian generals from being brought to justice for the horrific crimes against humanity committed during the last few months of Indonesia's occupation of East Timor," the British human rights group Tapol agreed in a statement.
"It is drafted in such a way as to make it impossible for all grave human rights violations committed in East Timor to be taken to such a court because it will not be retroactive," said Tapol's director Carmel Budiardjo.
Article 32 of the draft law stipulates that "cases of grave human rights violations that were created prior to the creation of the Human Rights Court shall be handled by a Truth and Reconciliation Commission", but nothing is known about such a commission or its likely terms of reference.