A Dipta Anindita/Hendra & GB, Jakarta – A Special Committee (Pansus) has been formed by the House to investigate the Trisakti and Semanggi I and II incidents when innocent protesters were shot during the final days of the New Order regime of presidents Suharto and Habibie.
The House is empowered to form special committees to investigate matters deemed of national importance and was most famously formed recently to investigate the Bulogate and Bruneigate scandals which allegedly involve President Abdurrahman Wahid.
The meeting to decide whether the committee would be established was held at the parliament in Jakarta, Monday. Deputy Speaker of the House, Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, led the meeting which went without a hitch or any interruptions from members of the House.
Panda Nababan from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) was chosen by an overwhelming majority to head the special committee into the Trisakti and Semanggi I and II incidents.
Besides appointing Panda Nababan, the meeting also agreed on the three new deputy leaders of the Pansus: Nur Supit (Golkar), Abdullah Sarwani (United Development Party - PPP) and Andi Najmi Fuady (National Awakening Faction - PKB).
Public pressure for the resolution of the cases is growing. Last Thursday, 2,000 students from the University of Trisakti and supporters staged a massive rally demanding the police get serious in their investigations.
Much remains unexplained about the Trisakti incident which many believe was the turning point in the political crisis of 1998. On May 12, while massive demonstrations calling for Suharto to stand down were launched across the country, a peaceful demonstration at the university was fired upon and four Trisakti students were killed. The incident outraged Indonesians and the momentum to force Suharto from office climaxed on May 21 when he finally stood down.
Rumours at the time held that Commander of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) and Suharto's son-in-law, Prabowo Subianto, was behind the attack. Others maintained it was then Commander of the armed forces, General Wiranto.
Investigations into the Trisakti incident are further along than the Semanggi I and II investigations by the police. Authorities at Trisakti maintain Mobile Brigade members were behind the shootings.
The facts in the Semanggi I & II case are less clear. What is clear is that students gathering in the Semanggi area of central Jakarta to protest the special session of parliament under the caretaker government of President BJ Habibie were fired upon when they clashed with security personnel blocking their way to the legislative compound in Senayan. The number of victims is from the crackdown is also unknown although more than 20 are believed to have died from the two separate incidents in November 1999.