Jakarta to try some detainees

Press, 25 November 1977, Page 5

Jakarta to try some detainees

NZPA-Reuter Jakarta About 1600 alleged hardcore communist detainees will appear in court on charges of attempting to overthrow the Government during the 1965 abortive communist coup attempt in Indonesia, the National Security Chief (Admiral Sudomo) has said. Admiral Sudomo told reporters after a meeting with President Suharto that the detainees were of the A category — those said to have been directly involved in the coup attempt. He did not say when they would be brought before the court.

In the case where there was insufficient evidence to prove complicity in the coup attempt, the detainees would be considered B category prisoners, who could not be; tried, he said. However, Admiral Sudomo said: “Their communist ideology will be further checked after the change of the category and they will not be released if their ideology is still strong.” He said about 900 A category prisoners had been tried and executed by firing squad since the outbreak of the coup. Admiral Sudomo said a total of 10,000 B category

prisoners would be freed on December 15 throughout Indonesia. They were mostly in North Sumatra and East Kalimantan (Borneo). He said a ceremony would be held in Medan, North Sumatra, on that day to mark the release of the prisoners.

The Government has made available a resettlement centre covering 500 hectares at Dairi in North Sumatra for the freed prisoners who cannot return home because they will not be accepted by their relatives or local communities, according to Admiral Sudomo. The Government had also planned to release another 10,000 B category prisoners next year, and the remaining 3000 in 1979. The Indonesian Government has been under fire from the London-based Amnesty International humanrights organisation and the International Jurists’ Association for holding the prisoners for such a long period without trial.

Nearly half a million people were rounded up shortly after the coup attempt — about two-thirds of them were classified as being of the C category, those allegedly indirectly involved in the trouble.