Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Sun, 11 Oct 1992 07:00:56 PDT
From:         "Indonesia Publications/Task Force" <apakabar@IGC.APC.ORG>
Subject:      IN: Sintong Back In Indonesia

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John A. MacDougall                  Email: apakabar@igc.apc.org (Internet)
Editor, Indonesia Publications       or apakabar@access.digex.com (Internet)
Editor, Southeast Asia Publications Fax: 301-552-4465
Coordinator, Task Force Indonesia   Post: 7538 Newberry Lane
                                     Lanham-Seabrook, MD 20706 USA



/* Written  6:57 am  Oct 11, 1992 by apakabar in cdp:reg.indonesia */
/* ---------- "Sintong Back In Indonesia" ---------- */


Source: Forum Keadilan, No. 13.
Original language: Indonesian.
Date: 15 October 1992.
Dateline: Jakarta.
Byline: Agung, Tony, and Sri Raharti.
Story type: News.
Scope: Brief excerpts.
Headline: Suing Sintong in America.
Sub-headline: "An American NGO sued Sintong Panjaitan in federal
court in America.  Was their any basis in law for it?  Or was it
only a political maneuver?"
Remark: Learning almost immediately about the suit, the Indonesian
side apparently heeded advice from diverse groups and individuals
to respond in a highly restrained way against a suit which never
had a chance of success and which prima facie bore the air of personal
political crusades.  This suit contrasts with the sophistication and
seriousness of a successful one brought against Ferdinand Marcos in
Hawaii.


The calm of former Military Area (Kodam) IX/Udayana Commander
Maj. Gen. Sintong Panjaitan's studies in America was disrupted.
Just as he was ending his education at Harvard, Sintong was sued
by Helen Todd, stepmother (ibu tiri) of Kamal Bamadhaj, a New
Zealand citizen who died in the 12 November Incident in Dili.
Through her lawyer, Beth Stephens, Helen filed the suit on
September 21, 1992 in Boston Federal Court.

According to Beth Stephens from the Center for Constitutional
Rights, Sintong, who is now already in Indonesia, was responsible
for the death of Kamal, an activist in an Australian NGO.
The lawyer accused Sintong of committing human rights violations
in East Timor.  Hence Helen Todd's suit demanding millions of
dollars in compensation.

Beth Stephens said Sintong could be tried in America under a
1984 human rights convention signed (diteken) by more than 20
countries.  Under its provisions a person violating human rights
in one country can be tried in another.

International law expert Prof. Dr. Komar Kantaatmaja believes,
however, that such a suit could not be filed against Sintong in
America.  "At the time of the incident, Sintong was not there in
person, but only in his role as Udayana Commander," said Komar.
If anyone wanted to sue Sintong, it must be done in Indonesia,
specifically, Jakarta or Bali, and using Indonesian jurisprudence,
not that of other countries.

ABRI's own voice was clear. "ABRI will pay no heed to the suit,"
said ABRI Assistant for Social and Political Affairs, Lt. Gen.
Harsudiyono Hartas.  If they dare, he said, sue us here.  They
are just looking for adversaries, remarked Hartas.

The suit appears to smack more of politics than law.  Hartas said,
"They are only playing a political game."

Stephens herself didn't deny there was a political goal in the
CCR's act.  She said frankly the act was timed for President
Soeharto's UN appearance and the re-opening of discussions
between Indonesia and Portugal over East Timor.

Sintong himself has already returned to Indonesia.  According to
Head of ABRI Information Center Brig. Gen. Nurhadi, his studies
had been completed.  Right now, he did not want to be interviewed.
Forum tried to contact him several times but was unsuccessful.
"He's not yet come home," said his family.
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