Jakarta – Former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto said on Thursday that he was not responsible for the shooting incident at the Trisakti University on May 12, 1998.
"As the TNI chief, I was responsible at the policy level and not the operational level. The military's hierarchical structure recognizes a direct-superior and direct-subordinate assessment system. So, it's quite clear who must be responsible for mistakes conducted by troops in the field," Wiranto said in a House of Representatives' special committee hearing.
The special committee is probing the alleged use of violence by security forces in dealing with student demonstrations in May and November 1998, known as the Trisakti and Semanggi incidents.
A military tribunal, established to investigate the Trisakti incident, sentenced on August 12, 1998 First Lt. Agus Tri Heryanto, 29, and Second Lt. Pariyo, 38, both members of the police's Mobile Brigade, to 10 months and 4 months in jail respectively. The officers were found responsible for ordering their men to shoot into a crowd of demonstrating students, killing four Trisakti University students – Heri Hartanto, Elang Mulya Lesmana, Hafidin Royan and Hendriawan Sie.
Besides blaming the "direct superior", Wiranto also blamed "the actors" who mobilized demonstrations demanding then President Soeharto step down. However, he did not name who was directly responsible for instigating the demonstrations.
Wiranto said security authorities had banned the students from staging protests outside their campuses to avoid provocation. "I also told the troops to promote persuasion, while repression should be a last resort. No live bullets were allowed," he said.
Wiranto defended the troops, however, saying that they had the legal authority to take firm action against the protesters as stipulated in Law No. 9/1998 on demonstrations. "No one obeys the Law, even now," Wiranto said.
Accompanying the general were former TNI chief of general affairs Gen. Fachrul Razi, former Armed Forces Intelligence Body (BIA) chief Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, Military Police chief Maj. Gen. Djasrie Marin, Head of TNI's Legal Affairs Department Maj. Gen. Timor P. Manurung and former Jakarta Military Police chief Col. Hendardji.
Wiranto admitted to having asked Fachrul Razi to withdraw all police personnel from the field and replace them with Marine troops from Surabaya. "The people's hatred toward the police had been increasing following the [Trisakti] shooting incident. In several places they burned police posts and even attacked police officers," he explained.
The retired four-star general said he had ordered the TNI headquarters to probe the case and reveal the findings to the public. "I even asked Sjafrie [then Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsuddin] and Hamami [then Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Hamami Nata] to convey our apologies, on behalf of the government and military, to the victims' families," he said.
Many observers have criticized the tribunal established to try the police officers, saying it was partial because the shootings were not conducted by police. They assert that military snipers were utilized "to create martyrs" and expedite the downfall of Soeharto's regime. Wiranto denied the allegation by displaying video documentation of proceedings before and after the incident.