IBRAHIM ISA'S SELECTED INDONESIAN - NEWS AND VIEWS , 31 October 2006 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Government Should Invite UN Special Reporter SUHARTO'S YOUNGER SON TOMMY RELEASED INDONESIAN JUSTICE UNDER SPOTLIGHT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Government Should Invite UN Special Reporter Tuesday, 31 October, 2006 | 17:26 WIB TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government is assured that the international investigation plan on the Munir case will not affect Indonesia's position at the Human Rights Council of the United Nations. "Especially in the direction of an embargo," said Desra Percaya, spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Affairs, yesterday (10/30).
According to Desra, his party heard the arrival plan of Philips Alston, the UN special reporter for extrajudicial executions, to Indonesia. Nevertheless, said Desra, the coming of the reporter is commonly based on the government's invitation. "A special reporter cannot come on his own without any invitation from the government, said Desra. Therefore, according to Desra, Australian Philips Alston arrival should be based on the government's invitation. It is not the first time in history, said Desra, that Indonesia has been visited by a UN special reporter. He cited several people such as Param Cumaras Warni, who observed judicial matters in Indonesia, and Dr Yakin Erturk, who monitored matters concerning violence to women. Last week, Usman Hamid, the coordinator of Kontras, explained that the UN special reporter for extrajudicial executions Philips Alston was ready to be involved in the investigation of the Munir case. Alston had planned to send a letter of appeal to the Indonesian government concerning the issue in November of this year. According to Usman, the reporter will benefit the government. The reason for this is that the special reporter will recommend the government concerning handling of the Munir case. As regards matters on international investigation, according to Usman, the UN special commentator can join the existing police investigation team or else form a separate team. Indonesian Police Headquarters stated that it is not yet certain of receiving UN assistance that will involve in investigating Munir case. "We can accept assistance if it benefits those involved. But, if it does not and does not support the conducive situation in the country, we will surely reject it," said Indonesian Police spokesperson Chief Commissioner Bambang Kuncoko yesterday (10/30). So far, said Bambang, the Indonesian Police is yet to accept an official offer from any party that will be involved in the international investigation of Munir case. In addition, the Munir case is not yet final. The reason is that there is still another judicial attempt that can be taken in order to solve the problem. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said Desra, clearly said that the government will re-open the case of Munir's murder. Erwin D, Titis S SUHARTO'S YOUNGER SON TOMMY RELEASED By Ahmad Pathoni JAKARTA (Reuters) - Former Indonesian president Suharto's youngest son was conditionally released from jail on Monday, after serving a third of his original sentence for plotting the murder of a Supreme Court judge. Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra was sentenced to 15 years for paying a hitman to kill the judge and other offences, but that was reduced to 10 years on appeal and further sliced by a series of holiday "remissions". In all he served five years before Monday's release, which drew fire from critics as showing undue leniency to a powerful figure. "He is out. He will serve the remaining time outside the prison," Gusti Tamarjaya, the justice ministry official handling penitentiaries in Jakarta, told reporters. While no longer in jail, Tommy is theoretically still a prisoner, having to meet conditions of probation. Guards switched Tommy from a van to a car after he was blocked by a crowd of reporters and photographers scrambling for comment and footage when he emerged from an East Jakarta jail. Tommy was originally sentenced in 2002, when he had already served about a year while the prosecution was underway. The murdered judge had convicted Tommy in a graft case. Like thousands of other Indonesian prisoners, Tommy has had reductions from the remission programme. The latest six-week cut last week for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday meant he had served two-thirds of his reduced sentence, making him eligible for release. Continued... © Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved. ------------------------------------- INDONESIAN JUSTICE UNDER SPOTLIGHT "In a country upholding the law, we cannot discriminate. After he has served two-thirds of his sentence, automatically he is free with conditions," Vice President Jusuf Kalla told reporters. However, not all prisoners who serve two-thirds of their terms are released, and the country's attorney general had earlier been quoted as saying various factors could be weighed before a decision was made. Johnson Pandjaitan, a leading human rights lawyer from the Indonesian Human Rights and Legal Aid Association, said it was wrong to view the release as automatic. Conditional release is never automatic. Nothing is really automatic. It should go through a certain process." "The problem is this country has a president but does not have a leader in law enforcement," Pandjaitan told Reuters, referring to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is currently on a trip to China. "(Yudhoyono) had the chance to control his justice ministry officials but he did not take it," said Pandjaitan. Tommy's original sentence of 15 years had drawn fire from some quarters as too lenient and showing Indonesian justice had one standard for the rich and powerful and another for the poor and weak. Prison and other government officials have said the courts acted independently in Tommy's case and the sentence remissions have been similar to those granted others. Tommy's father ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for more than three decades before stepping down in 1998, and several members of his family became rich. Suharto himself has been charged with graft but not prosecuted as courts have accepted medical statements he is too ill to stand trial. 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