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Ex-vice president interrogated over 1984 killings |
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May 4, 2000 JAKARTA, MAY 3 (AP) - A former vice president was interrogated Wednesday by a human rights panel investigating the massacre of Muslim demonstrators 16 years ago in the capital.
Try Sutrisno, vice president under former dictator Suharto, was Jakarta commander when troops shot dead at least 18 Muslim protesters during a protest in Sept. 12, 1984 in Jakarta's poverty-ridden Tanjung Priok port district.
"The shootings were carried out in accordance with the existing standard procedures," Sutrisno told reporters after he was grilled for three hours at the office of the National Commission on Human Rights.
Sutrisno was accompanied by retired Gen. Benyamin Murdani, who commanded Indonesia's armed forces at the time of the incident.
He refused to speak to reporters, but a commission member said Murdani denied he ordered the soldiers to open fire.
Human rights groups claimed the number of dead was in the hundreds and that their bodies were dumped as sea.
Families and friends of the dead, along with Muslim activists, have demanded an inquiry into the shootings and the role of Sutrisno and Murdani.
Witnesses at the time said security forces opened fire at demonstrators during a street march against the arrests of several anti-government Muslim clergymen.
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