Jakartass visits ailing Suharto
Yes, folks, everyone else is popping down to the Pertamina hospital, which is within spitting distance of Jakartass Towers, so I thought I ought to.
I rubbed shoulders with
SBY who told me that
"This is absolutely a humanitarian responsibility that I must fulfill to respect a national leader who led our country in the past."That was yesterday. Today I hobnobbed with Joe Kalla, the V.P., and
Akbar Tanjung, the former House Speaker and leader of Golkar, Suharto's political power base. Akbar was happy to relate that
Soeharto was soundly asleep when he visited him, but declined to answer me when I asked him if he was feeling the pinch now that he didn't hold so many purse strings.
Someone else who isn't answering many questions is former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) secretary Nurhadi Jazuli. The fact-finding team investigating the murder of human rights campaigner Munir finally, after months of prevarication, managed to interview him on Monday.
Team secretary Usman
Hamid was quoted as saying,
"This meeting is the beginning. It's the gateway for investigating or obtaining more complete facts about the team's long-held assumption of indications of the involvement of current or former BIN members." In today's Jakarta Post,
Wahyudi Hugo, chief of intelligence from August 2001 through October 2004, offers a bunch of excuses regarding BIN's (non?) involvement in the Munir affair.
"I have been particularly disturbed to see the name of former BIN executive secretary Nurhadi Djazuli dragged through the mud in relation to the Munir case. In the BIN organizational structure, the executive secretary is the top administrator who, without sounding too flippant, makes sure the lights go on, the cars have gasoline and wages are paid on time."He is
"a fine civil servant".
Meanwhile, Pak Usman has received
a death threat, which was co-addressed to Munir's widow Suciwati.
And this is a rough translation:
April 27 2005
For Suciwati and Usman
Traitor of NKRI [the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia]I will kidnap you and I will blind your eyes. I will cancel this plan if you return to NKRI and do not pry into Munir's death. Repent before you are blinded by me and warn your children as well as your family.
I have prepared Rp.250 million to kidnap you.
From Dr.Azahari@plasa.com
NB ... You have a maximum of 28 days.
Nice people.
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