Terkait Almarhum Gus Dur

Media saat ini melaporkan bahwa keluarga Gus Dur menyatakan keinginannya untuk bertemu saya. 

Saya sangat bersedia. Saya berharap kami dapat mengatur pertemuan tersebut.

Menurut laporan media, Alissa Qotrunnada Munawaroh Rahman (Alissa Wahid), putri sulung sang mantan Presiden, menyatakan bahwa keluarga Gus Dur ingin berbicara kepada saya tentang komentar-komentar Jenderal Prabowo mengenai ayahnya yang diucapkan persis di hadapan saya.

(Laporan diskusi saya dengan Prabowo dapat dilihat di "'Do I have the guts,' Prabowo asked, 'am I ready to be called a fascist dictator?'" dan "'Apa saya cukup punya nyali,' tanya Prabowo, 'apa saya siap jika disebut 'diktator fasis'?").

Harapan saya, Jenderal Prabowo dan TNI tidak akan menghalang-halangi pertemuan antara saya dan keluarga Gus Dur.

Saya mencatat bahwa [tim] kampanye Prabowo menyatakan TNI siap menangkap saya (lihat "A Response and Several Challenges to General Prabowo" dan "Tanggapan dan Beberapa Tantangan Saya untuk Jenderal Prabowo"). Media juga melaporkan bahwa saya telah menjadi "Target Operasi TNI"("Jurnalis Asing Allan Nairn Jadi TO TNI").

Saya minta pihak TNI mengklarifikasi, apakah TNI  bertindak atas nama mereka sendiri atau atas nama Prabowo.

Allan Nairn

Link to view this post in English

Link ke "SIKAP KELUARGA KH ABDURRAHMAN WAHID MENGENAI KONTROVERSI WAWANCARA BP. PRABOWO SUBIANTO YANG DIANGGAP HINA GUS DUR"

Link to view "Breaking News: Indonesian Special Forces, Intelligence, in Covert Operation to Influence Election"
Link ke "Breaking News: Operasi Rahasia Kopassus dan BIN Untuk Mempengaruhi Hasil Pemilu"


NOTE TO READERS: News and Comment is looking for assistance with translating blog postings into other languages, and also with fund raising and distributing the blog content more widely. Those interested please get in touch via the e-mail link below. NOTE TO READERS RE. TRANSLATION: Portions of News and Comment are now available in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, French, German, Russian and Spanish translation (click preceding links or Profile link above) but translation help is still needed -- particularly with older postings, in these and all other languages. NOTE TO READERS RE. POTENTIAL EVIDENCE: News and Comment is looking for public and private documents and first-hand information that could develop into evidence regarding war crimes or crimes against humanity by officials. Please forward material via the email link below. Email Me

Regarding the Late Gus Dur

The press is now reporting that the family of the late Gus Dur has said they would like to meet me.

I would be very happy to do so.  I hope we can arrange it.

According to the reports, Alissa Qotrunnada Munawaroh Rahman (Alissa Wahid), the former President's eldest daughter, said they would like to talk to me about the comments that General Prabowo made to me about her father.

(For a report on my discussions with Prabowo see "'Do I have the guts,' Prabowo asked, 'am I ready to be called a fascist dictator?'" and "'Apa saya cukup punya nyali,' tanya Prabowo, 'apa saya siap jika disebut 'diktator fasis'?").

I hope that General Prabowo and the TNI (the Indonesian Armed Forces) will not try to stop me from meeting the Wahid family.

I note that Prabowo's campaign said that TNI was ready to capture me (See "A Response and Several Challenges to General Prabowo" and "Tanggapan dan Beberapa Tantangan Saya untuk Jenderal Prabowo") and that the press has reported that I have become a "TNI Operational Target" ("Jurnalis Asing Allan Nairn Jadi TO TNI").

I would ask the TNI to clarify if they are acting on their own behalf or on Prabowo's.

Allan Nairn


Link to view translation of this post in Bahasa Indonesia

Link ke "SIKAP KELUARGA KH ABDURRAHMAN WAHID MENGENAI KONTROVERSI WAWANCARA BP. PRABOWO SUBIANTO YANG DIANGGAP HINA GUS DUR"

Link to view "Breaking News: Indonesian Special Forces, Intelligence, in Covert Operation to Influence Election"


Links to news reports:
"Keluarga Gus Dur Ingin Temui Allan Nairn terkait Ucapan Prabowo"  
"Putri Alm Gus Dur Ingin Temui Allan Nairn Konfirmasi Pernyataan Prabowo"
"Keluarga Gus Dur Ingin Temui Allan Nairn" 


NOTE TO READERS: News and Comment is looking for assistance with translating blog postings into other languages, and also with fund raising and distributing the blog content more widely. Those interested please get in touch via the e-mail link below. NOTE TO READERS RE. TRANSLATION: Portions of News and Comment are now available in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, French, German, Russian and Spanish translation (click preceding links or Profile link above) but translation help is still needed -- particularly with older postings, in these and all other languages. NOTE TO READERS RE. POTENTIAL EVIDENCE: News and Comment is looking for public and private documents and first-hand information that could develop into evidence regarding war crimes or crimes against humanity by officials. Please forward material via the email link below. Email Me

Tanggapan dan Beberapa Tantangan Saya untuk Jenderal Prabowo

Dalam kampanyenya hari ini, tim Jenderal Prabowo Subianto menyatakan bahwa TNI siap menangkap saya. Mereka klaim bahwa saya adalah bagian dari konspirasi pemerintah/bisnes Amerika Serikat terhadap. (Lihat tautan di bawah).

Juru bicara kampanye Budi Purnomo mengatakan, "Allan Nairn merupakan seorang jurnalis Amerika yang dikenal memiliki hubungan yang tidak baik dengan TNI. Menurutnya, Allan bahkan tercatat tujuh kali pernah masuk ke Indonesia secara ilegal.  'TNI bahkan pernah menyatakan akan menangkap Allan jika ia ketahuan kembali ke Indonesia,' jelasnya." (Merdeka.com, 26 Juni, 2014). 

Sekarang saya tengah berada di Indonesia sehingga jika TNI ingin menangkap saya, mereka bisa melakukannya. (Informasi mengenai mengapa pemerintahan Presiden Soeharto serta TNI melarang saya masuk ke Indonesia sebagai "ancaman bagi keamanan nasional," lihat beberapa posting sebelumnya tentang perbincangan Jenderal Prabowo dan saya)

Jika Jenderal Prabowo ingin saya ditangkap karena apa yang telah saya tulis tentang dirinya, saya minta dia menyatakanya sendiri, bukan lewat jurubicara.

Menyoal tuduhan konyol bahwa saya bekerja sama dengan Amerika Serikat, siapa pun yang akrab dengan karya-karya saya, pasti tahu bahwa saya adalah musuh pemerintah Amerika Serikat beserta kepentingan korporasi-korporasinya.

Salah satu kritik utama saya kepada pemerintah dan bisnes Amerika Serikat selama 40 tahun terakhir adalah kebijakan-kebijakan mereka yang menghisap dan membunuh orang-orang miskin di seluruh dunia, termasuk di Indonesia.

Secara terbuka, saya menyerukan agar setiap presiden Amerika Serikat yang masih hidup, diadili dan dipenjarakan, karena mereka telah menyokong kekuatan-kekuatan yang membunuh warga sipil.

Satu dari banyak pihak yang dibantu Amerika Serikat dan membunuh warga sipil adalah TNI.  Dalam tubuh TNI  sendiri, Jenderal Prabowo sempat menjadi orang terdekat serta dilindungi Amerika Serikat. (Prabowo pernah menggambarkan kepada saya bahwa dirinya adalah "anak kesayangan Amerika").

Dalam pandangan saya, dua fakta terpenting tentang Prabowo adalah, pertama, ia membantai warga sipil, dan kedua, ia membunuh mereka dengan sokongan Amerika Serikat.

Saya ajukan beberapa tantangan untuk Anda, Jenderal:

Jenderal Prabowo, bersediakah Anda bergabung bersama saya untuk menyerukan agar para presiden Amerika Serikat diadili?

Terkait eksploitasi yang dilakukan Amerika Serikat terhadap Indonesia dan isu kontrak-kontrak tambang, sudikah Anda, Jenderal Prabowo, bergabung bersama saya guna menyerukan agar Freeport McMoRan diusir dari Indonesia?

Tulisan saya tentang Prabowo akurat adanya. Jika Jenderal Prabowo ingin menyangkalnya, saya mempersilakan beliau untuk mengajukan gugatan pencemaran nama baik dan menghadapi saya di pengadilan Indonesia.

Allan Nairn


Link to view this post English
Link to "Prabowo, Bagian 2: "Saya anak kesayangan Amerika."  Sang Jenderal Nasionalis dan Amerika Serikat."
Link to "Breaking News: Indonesian Special Forces, Intelligence, in Covert Operation to Influence Election"
Link ke "Breaking News: Operasi Rahasia Kopassus dan BIN Untuk Mempengaruhi Hasil Pemilu"

Tautan-tautan tentang pernyataan kampanye Prabowo:
"Jurnalis Asing Allan Nairn Jadi TO TNI"
"Kubu Prabowo sebut Allan Nairn 7 kali masuk RI secara ilegal"
"Konspirasi Jurnalis Asing Tak Akan Gembosi Prabowo"
"Timses cium ada campur tangan AS jegal Prabowo"
"PKS: Amerika harus terima kalau Prabowo jadi presiden"
"Bantah Wawancara Prabowo dengan Allan Nairn, Tantowi: Dia Musuh Negara"



NOTE TO READERS: News and Comment is looking for assistance with translating blog postings into other languages, and also with fund raising and distributing the blog content more widely. Those interested please get in touch via the e-mail link below. NOTE TO READERS RE. TRANSLATION: Portions of News and Comment are now available in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, French, German, Russian and Spanish translation (click preceding links or Profile link above) but translation help is still needed -- particularly with older postings, in these and all other languages. NOTE TO READERS RE. POTENTIAL EVIDENCE: News and Comment is looking for public and private documents and first-hand information that could develop into evidence regarding war crimes or crimes against humanity by officials. Please forward material via the email link below. Email Me

A Response and Several Challenges to General Prabowo

General Prabowo's campaign said today that the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) are ready to capture me, and claimed that I am part of a US government/business conspiracy against Prabowo.  (See reference links below).

Campaign spokesman Budi Purnomo is reported as saying that "Allan Nairn is a journalist who is known to not have a good relationship with the TNI [Indonesian Armed Forces].  He said that Allan has even been listed as having entered Indonesia illegally seven times.  'TNI has even said that they are going to capture Allan if they learn he has returned to Indonesia,' he stated."  ["Allan Nairn merupakan seorang jurnalis Amerika yang dikenal memiliki hubungan yang tidak baik dengan TNI. Menurutnya, Allan bahkan tercatat tujuh kali pernah masuk ke Indonesia secara ilegal.  'TNI bahkan pernah menyatakan akan menangkap Allan jika ia ketahuan kembali ke Indonesia,' jelasnya." (Merdeka.com, June 26, 2014)].   

I am currently in Indonesia so if the TNI would like to capture me, they can.  

(For background on Suharto/TNI banning me from Indonesia as "a threat to national security" see the previous postings about my discussions with General Prabowo).

If General Prabowo wants me to be captured because of what I've written about him, then I request that he say so himself.

As to the amusing charge that I am working with the US, anyone familiar with my work knows that I am an adversary of the US state and of US corporate interests.

One of my main criticisms of the US for the past 40 years has been of their practice of exploiting and killing poor people around the world, including in Indonesia.

I have publicly called for every living US president to be tried and jailed for sponsoring forces that kill civilians.

One of the many US-backed forces that kills civilians is the TNI, and General Prabowo was the US's closest protege in the TNI (Prabowo described himself to me as "the Americans' fair-haired boy").

In my view, the two most important facts about Prabowo are, first, that he killed civilians, and second, that he killed them while being sponsored by the United States.

I have some challenges for the general:

General Prabowo, will you join me in calling for the US Presidents to be put on trial?

And regarding US exploitation of Indonesia and the issue of mining contracts, General Prabowo, will you join me in calling for the expulsion of Freeport McMoRan from Indonesia?

As to my writing about Prabowo, it is accurate.  If the General wants to deny this, I invite him to face me in the Indonesian courts by filing criminal libel charges against me.

Allan Nairn


Link to view translation of this post in Bahasa Indonesia
Link to view "Breaking News: Indonesian Special Forces, Intelligence, in Covert Operation to Influence Election"

Links re. Prabowo campaign statements:
"Jurnalis Asing Allan Nairn Jadi TO TNI"
"Kubu Prabowo sebut Allan Nairn 7 kali masuk RI secara ilegal"
"Konspirasi Jurnalis Asing Tak Akan Gembosi Prabowo"
"Timses cium ada campur tangan AS jegal Prabowo"
"PKS: Amerika harus terima kalau Prabowo jadi presiden"
"Bantah Wawancara Prabowo dengan Allan Nairn, Tantowi: Dia Musuh Negara"

NOTE TO READERS: News and Comment is looking for assistance with translating blog postings into other languages, and also with fund raising and distributing the blog content more widely. Those interested please get in touch via the e-mail link below. NOTE TO READERS RE. TRANSLATION: Portions of News and Comment are now available in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, French, German, Russian and Spanish translation (click preceding links or Profile link above) but translation help is still needed -- particularly with older postings, in these and all other languages. NOTE TO READERS RE. POTENTIAL EVIDENCE: News and Comment is looking for public and private documents and first-hand information that could develop into evidence regarding war crimes or crimes against humanity by officials. Please forward material via the email link below. Email Me

"Apa saya cukup punya nyali," tanya Prabowo, "apa saya siap jika disebut 'diktator fasis'?"

22 Juni 2014

Oleh Allan Nairn

Tangal 9 Juli, Indonesia, negeri dengan kepadatan penduduk berperingkat keempat sedunia, akan mengadakan pemilu. Pemilu kali ini berpotensi menaikkan Jenderal (purn) Prabowo Subianto ke kursi kepresidenan.

Jenderal Prabowo, kakak kandung seorang milyarder, adalah bekas menantu dari diktator Suharto. Orang yang dilatih oleh dan mendapat sokongan dari Amerika ini terlibat dalam kasus-kasus penyiksaan, penculikan, dan pembantaian massal.

Pada bulan Juni dan Juli 2001, saya berbincang-bincang dengan Prabowo. 

Kami berjumpa di kantor perusahaannya di Mega Kuningan, Jakarta.

Saya menawarkan kepadanya wawancara anonim (tanpa nama). 

Waktu itu saya tengah menyelidiki sejumlah kasus pembunuhan yang terjadi baru-baru itu. Ia rupa-rupanya melibatkan tentara Indonesia. Saya berharap pembicaraan off-the-record antara saya dan Jendral Prabowo bisa mengungkap detail dari kasus-kasus tersebut. 

Awalnya saya kecewa. Prabowo hampir tidak memberikan keterangan yang membantu mengenai pembunuhan-pembunuhan itu . 

Namun akhirnya kami malah mengobrol selama nyaris empat jam. 

Kesan yang saya tangkap waktu itu, Prabowo mengeluarkan komentar-komentar yang tidak bersangkutan. 

Prabowo berbicara tentang fasisme, demokrasi, kebijakan membunuh dalam tubuh TNI/ABRI, serta hubungan antara dirinya dengan Pentagon dan Intelijen Amerika yang sudah berlangsung lama dan tertutup.

Di masa itu, ia sama sekali tidak berkuasa dan terisolir secara politis. Jenderal-jenderal lain adalah ancamannya.

Namun karena saat ini Prabowo nyaris merebut kekuasaan, saya kembali memeriksa catatan-catatan wawancara saya.  Saya jadi sadar bahwa apa yang ia katakan pada waktu itu menjadi relevan di saat ini.

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Saya telah mencoba menghubungi Jenderal Prabowo. Saya ingin meminta izin untuk membahas komentar-komentarnya di muka publik. Saya tidak mendapat balasan dan saya pun memutuskan untuk meneruskan rencana tersebut. 

Saya pikir kerugian yang saya hadapi ketika melanggar anonimitas yang saya janjikan ke Prabowo, tidak sebanding dengan kerugian yang lebih besar jika rakyat Indonesia pergi ke tempat pemungutan suara tanpa mengetahui fakta-fakta penting yang selama ini tidak bisa mereka akses.

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Saat itu saya dan Prabowo berdiskusi panjang tentang pembantaian Santa Cruz.  

Dalam pembantaian tersebut, militer Indonesia membunuh setidaknya 271 penduduk sipil.  

Kejadiannya berlangsung pada 12 November 1991 di Dili, di sebelah luar area pemakaman yang dipadati laki-laki, perempuan dan anak-anak.  Di tahun itu, Timor-Timur masih merupakan wilayah yang diduduki oleh militer Indonesia. 

Kebetulan saya ada di sana ketika pembantaian itu terjadi. Saya selamat.  

Prabowo mengatakan kepada saya bahwa perintah membunuh itu "goblok" [“imbecilic”]. (Dia katakan bahwa ia sempat mengira perintah tersebut datang dari Jenderal Benny Murdani, tapi ia sendiri tidak yakin.)

Keberatan Prabowo bukan pada kenyataan bahwa militer Indonesia telah membunuh warga sipil, tapi pada fakta  bahwa pembunuhan tersebut dilakukan di hadapan saya dan saksi-saksi lainnya yang bisa melaporkan kasus tersebut dan menggerakan suara dunia internasional. 

“Santa Cruz mematikan kami secara politis!” suara Prabowo meninggi. “Di situlah kekalahan kami” [“Santa Cruz killed us politically!,” Prabowo exclained. “It was the defeat!”].

“Anda tidak semestinya membunuh warga sipil di depan pers internasional,” ujar Jenderal Prabowo. “Komandan-komandan itu bisa saja membantai di desa-desa terpencil sehingga tak diketahui siapapun, tapi bukan di ibukota provinsi!” [“You don’t massacre civilians in front of the world press,” General Prabowo said.  “Maybe commanders do it in villages where no one will ever know, but not in the provincial capital!”].

Pernyataan tersebut jadi semacam pengakuan bahwa militer terbiasa melakukan pembantaian. Pernyataan itu juga membuktikan bahwa Prabowo tidak berkeberatan jika pembantaian dilakukan di tempat-tempat yang  “tak diketahui siapapun” [“where no one will ever know”].

Pada bulan September 1983, serangkaian pembantaian serupa terjadi di desa terpencil Kraras yang terletak di  gunung Bibileu, Timor Leste.

Di kemudian hari, Komisi Kebenaran dan Rekonsiliasi di Timor Timur yang disokong PBB (CAVR) melaporkan pembantaian Kraras:

"421. Komisi menerima bukti bahwa Prabowo ditempatkan di sektor bagian timur Timor-Leste saat itu. Beberapa sumber menyatakan kepada Komisi bahwa Prabowo terlibat dalam operasi untuk membawa penduduk sipil turun dari Gunung Bibeleu, dimana tidak lama kemudian beberapa ratus orang dibunuh ABRI. Komisi juga menerima bukti keterlibatan Kopassus dalam pembunuhan-pembunuhan ini (lihat Bab 7.2.: Pembunuhan Tidak Sah dan Penghilangan Paksa).” 

Seiring Suharto terus menaikkan pangkat Prabowo, komando-komando sang jenderal kian nyata jejaknya dalam sejumlah pembantaian massal lainnya.  Salah satunya adalah pembantaian massal di Papua Barat. Dalam kasus tersebut, para anak buah Prabowo menyamar sebagai anggota Palang Merah Internasional (ICRC). Operasi rahasia ini juga terdengar sampai Jakarta, kota dimana mereka menghilangkan aktivis-aktivis pro-demokrasi.  

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Fakta bahwa saya dan Prabowo sepakat untuk duduk bersama pun agak ganjil.  

Saya sendiri sebelumnya telah menyerukan agar Prabowo diadili dan dipenjarakan bersama-sama para sponsor Amerika-nya. Saya juga ikut serta menggalang kampanye di akar rumput guna  menuntut pemerintah AS memutus bantuannya kepada militer Indonesia. Kampanye ini berhasil. Saya dilarang masuk ke Indonesia, karena dinyatakan sebagai "ancaman bagi keamanan nasional", sementara para anak buah Jenderal Prabowo telah menyiksa teman-teman saya. 

Tapi bagi saya pribadi, saya telah berhitung dengan cermat bahwa pembicaraan bersama Prabowo tidak akan sia-sia, jika kasus-kasus pembunuhan yang masih segar kala itu terbantu pemecahannya. 

Saya tak tahu persis apa gunanya perbincangan tersebut untuk Prabowo. Namun, saya mendapat kesan bahwa ia menikmati kesempatan untuk membicarakan profesinya, serta bertukar pikiran dengan seorang musuh.  

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Saat itu, dua tahun setelah Soeharto jatuh, Indonesia memiliki presiden sipil. 

Abdurrachman Wahid, dikenal sebagai Gus Dur, adalah seorang ulama yang secara hukum dinyatakan buta.

Militer Indonesia merongrong otoritas presiden Gus Dur. Salah satu cara yang mereka tempuh adalah memfasilitasi serangan-serangan teror antar-etnis/agama di Maluku. Tiga minggu setelah pertemuan kedua saya dengan Prabowo, Gus Dur diberhentikan dan digulingkan dari kursi presiden. 

Kini Gus Dur seringkali dikenang dengan sukacita. Bahkan kampanye Prabowo pun memanfaatkan rekaman video pembicaraan Gus Dur.  

Namun dalam perbincangan tersebut, di hadapan saya Prabowo tak henti-hentinya mengecam Gus Dur dan demokrasi. 

“Indonesia belum siap untuk demokrasi,” kata Prabowo. "Di negara kami ini masih ada kanibal, masih ada kerumunan yang bikin rusuh"  [“Indonesia is not ready for democracy,” Prabowo said. “We still have cannibals, there are violent mobs.”].

Indonesia perlu, lanjut Prabowo, "rezim otoriter yang jinak" [“a benign authoritarian regime”].  Ia katakan bahwa keragaman etnis dan agama adalah penghalang demokrasi.

Mengenai Gus Dur, Prabowo mengatakan: 

"Militer pun bahkan tunduk pada presiden buta! Bayangkan! Coba lihat dia, bikin malu saja!" [“The military even obeys a blind president!  Imagine!  Look at him, he’s embarrasing!”].

"Lihat Tony Blair, Bush, Putin. Mereka muda, ganteng—dan sekarang presiden kita buta!" [“Look at Tony Blair, Bush, Putin.  Young, ganteng (handsome) -- and we have a blind man!”].

Prabowo menginginkan sosok yang berbeda. 

Dia menyebut Jenderal Pervez Musharraf dari Pakistan. 

Musharraf telah menangkap perdana menterinya yang sipil dan mendirikan kediktatoran. Prabowo menyatakan kekagumannya pada Musharraf. 

Prabowo kelihatan berpikir keras apakah dirinya sesuai dengan sosok yang ia bayangkan.  Apakah ia mampu menjadi Musharraf-nya Indonesia. 

"Apa saya cukup punya nyali," tanya Prabowo, "apa saya siap jika disebut 'diktator fasis'?" [“Do I have the guts,” Prabowo asked, “am I ready to be called a fascist dictator?”].

"Musharraf punya nyali," kata Prabowo. [“Musharraf had the guts,” Prabowo said.]

Terkait dirinya sendiri, Prabowo membiarkan pertanyaan tersebut tak terjawab. 

  

Bersambung ke Bagian 2: “Prabowo: ‘Saya anak kesayangan Amerika’ ['I was the Americans' fair-haired boy'] Sang Jenderal Nasionalis dan Intelijen Amerika”

Link to view this post in English
Link to view "A Response and Several Challenges to General Prabowo"
Link to view "Tangappan dan Beberapa Tantangan Saya untuk Jenderal Prabowo"
Link to view "Breaking News: Indonesian Special Forces, Intelligence, in Covert Operation to Influence Election"
Link ke "Breaking News: Operasi Rahasia Kopassus dan BIN Untuk Mempengaruhi Hasil Pemilu"

Link ke "SIKAP KELUARGA KH ABDURRAHMAN WAHID MENGENAI KONTROVERSI WAWANCARA BP. PRABOWO SUBIANTO YANG DIANGGAP HINA GUS DUR"



NOTE TO READERS: News and Comment is looking for assistance with translating blog postings into other languages, and also with fund raising and distributing the blog content more widely. Those interested please get in touch via the e-mail link below. NOTE TO READERS RE. TRANSLATION: Portions of News and Comment are now available in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, French, German, Russian and Spanish translation (click preceding links or Profile link above) but translation help is still needed -- particularly with older postings, in these and all other languages. NOTE TO READERS RE. POTENTIAL EVIDENCE: News and Comment is looking for public and private documents and first-hand information that could develop into evidence regarding war crimes or crimes against humanity by officials. Please forward material via the email link below. Email Me

News: "Do I have the guts," Prabowo asked, "am I ready to be called a fascist dictator?"

By Allan Nairn

On July 9 the world's fourth most populous country, Indonesia, will hold an election that could result in General Prabowo Subianto becoming president.

General Prabowo, the brother of a billionaire, was the son-in-law of the dictator Suharto, and as a US trainee and protege was implicated in torture, kidnap and mass murder.

In June and July, 2001 I had two long meetings with Prabowo.

We met at his corporate office in Mega Kuningan, Jakarta.

I offered Prabowo anonymity. 

I was looking into recent murders apparently involving the Indonesian army, and was hoping that if he could speak off-the-record General Prabowo might divulge details.

I came away disappointed.  Prabowo shed little light those killings.

But we ended up speaking for nearly four hours.   

My impression then was that his comments were extraneous.

Prabowo talked about fascism, democracy, army massacre policy, and his long, close relationship with the Pentagon and US intelligence.  

But at that time he was out of power and in political isolation. Other generals were the threat. 

But now Prabowo is on the verge of assuming state power.  And looking back at my notes I realize that some of what he said has now become relevant.

I have contacted General Prabowo asking permission to discuss his comments publicly, but not having heard back from him have decided to go ahead anyway.

I think the harm of breaking my anonymity promise to the General is outweighed by what would be the greater harm of Indonesians going to the polls having been denied access to facts they might find pertinent.

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Prabowo and I had a revealing discussion about the Santa Cruz Massacre.  

This was an Indonesian armed forces slaughter of at least 271 civilians.

It was done on November 12, 1991 in Dili, occupied East Timor, outside a cemetery where a crowd of men, women and children had gathered.

I happened to have been present at that massacre and managed to survive it.

Prabowo told me that the army order to do those killings had been "imbecilic."  (He said he thought the order came from Gen. Benny Murdani, but said he wasn't certain).

Prabowo's complaint was not with the fact that the army had murdered civilians, but rather that they had done so in front of me and other witnesses who were then able to report the massacre and mobilize the outside world.

"Santa Cruz killed us politically!," Prabowo exclaimed.  "It was the defeat!"

"You don't massacre civilians in front of the world press," General Prabowo said. "Maybe commanders do it in villages where no one will ever know, but not in the provincial capital!"

The remark was telling as an acknowledgement that the army routinely massacres, and in establishing that Prabowo finds this acceptable if the killings are done in places where "no one will ever know."

In September, 1983, there was just such a series of massacres around the little-seen village of Kraras on the mountain of Bibileo, East Timor.

The official UN-chartered Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor, the CAVR, later reported regarding the Kraras slaughter: 

"421.  The Commission received evidence that Prabowo was stationed in the eastern sector of Timor-Leste at this time. Several sources have told the Commission that he was involved in the operation to bring the civilian population down from Mount Bibileo, shortly after which several hundred were killed by ABRI [the Indonesian Armed Forces]. The Commission also received evidence of Kopassus being involved in these killings. (See Chapter 7.2: Unlawful Killings and Enforced Disappearances)."

As Suharto pulled Prabowo up through the ranks, his commands were implicated in other mass murders, including one in West Papua where Prabowo's men masqueraded as the International Red Cross (ICRC), and the now well-known covert operation in Jakarta where they disappeared pro-democracy activists.

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The fact that Prabowo and I had agreed to sit down was in itself a bit unusual. 

I had called for Prabowo to be tried and jailed along with his US sponsors, and had helped lead a successful grassroots campaign to sever US aid to the Indonesian armed forces.  I had been banned from Indonesia as "a threat to national security," and General Prabowo's men had tortured friends of mine.

But, for my part, I had made the cold calculation that if it helped solve the recent murders sitting down with Prabowo would be worth it.   

For Prabowo's part, I do not know, but I did get the impression that he enjoyed the chance to talk shop and compare notes with an adversary.

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At that time, two years after Suharto's fall,  Indonesia had a civilian president.

He was the blind cleric, Abdurrachman Wahid, popularly known as Gus Dur.  

The Indonesian armed forces had undermined Gus Dur's presidential authority.  They had done so in part by facilitating ethnic/ religious terror attacks in the Malukus.  Three weeks after my second meeting with Prabowo, Gus Dur was impeached and ousted.

Today, Gus Dur is often remembered fondly.  The current Prabowo campaign uses footage of him.

But that day, to me, Prabowo ranted about Gus Dur and democracy.

"Indonesia is not ready for democracy," Prabowo said.  "We still have cannibals, there are violent mobs."   

Indonesia needs, Prabowo said, "a benign authoritarian regime."  He said the many ethnicities and religions precluded democracy.

Prabowo said, regarding Gus Dur:

"The military even obeys a blind president!  Imagine!  Look at him, he's embarrassing!"

"Look at Tony Blair, Bush, Putin.  Young, ganteng [handsome] -- and we have a blind man!"

Prabowo called for a different model.

He mentioned Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf.   

Musharraf had arrested his country's civilian prime minister and imposed dictatorship.  Prabowo said he admired him greatly.

Prabowo ruminated on whether he could measure up, whether he could be an Indonesian Musharraf.

"Do I have the guts," Prabowo asked, "am I ready to be called a fascist dictator?"

"Musharraf had the guts, " Prabowo said.  

As to himself, he left that question unanswered.

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End of Part 1.  

Coming Up,  Part 2:  Prabowo: "I was the Americans' fair-haired boy."  The Nationalist General and US Intelligence.

Link to view translation of this post in Bahasa Indonesia

Link to "Breaking News: Indonesian Special Forces, Intelligence, in Covert Operation to Influence Election"

Link ke "SIKAP KELUARGA KH ABDURRAHMAN WAHID MENGENAI KONTROVERSI WAWANCARA BP. PRABOWO SUBIANTO YANG DIANGGAP HINA GUS DUR"

                                                                 



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