Prabowo Subianto was absent from the hearing at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) concerning the lawsuit over the honorary four-star general rank he received from President Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi.
Jane Rosalina, Head of the Impunity Monitoring Division at the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), one of the plaintiffs, reported that the judges decided to postpone the hearing.
“The intervening party, Prabowo Subianto, who was summoned by the judges last week, was supposed to attend today's hearing but did not appear,” said Jane after the hearing at PTUN Jakarta on Thursday (20 June 2024).
In addition to Prabowo, Jane mentioned that the representatives of Jokowi, the defendant, were also absent from the hearing.
“The President has not yet authorised the state attorney,” she remarked, citing Antara.
Jane explained that the PTUN judges had summoned Prabowo for the hearing on 12 June 2024, in accordance with Article 83, Paragraph 1 of Law Number 5 of 1986 on State Administrative Courts.
“Prabowo Subianto is a party with a vested interest in this dispute,” she stated.
The case is registered under number 186/G/2024/PTUN.JKT. The plaintiffs include KontraS, the People's Initiative for Participatory and Just Transition (IMPARSIAL), and the families of victims of the 1997-1998 forced disappearances.
Jane revealed that the object of the lawsuit is Presidential Decree (Keppres) Number 13/TNI/2024. Therefore, Prabowo's presence is crucial due to his involvement in the disputed matter.
“Prabowo Subianto was summoned to provide information regarding his influence or interest in the object of this lawsuit,” she explained.
“If the lawsuit is granted by the judges, Prabowo Subianto's rank will be revoked or declared invalid.”
Jane further elaborated that the presidential decree awarding Prabowo the honorary rank was not in compliance with Law Number 20 of 2009 on Titles, Decorations, and Honourary Titles.
“That law does not regulate the granting of honorary ranks such as a four-star general,” Jane clarified.
Additionally, she pointed out that awarding the honorary rank to Prabowo, a retiree, also contravenes Law Number 34 of 2004 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI).
“According to TNI Law and soldier administration regulations, ranks are only awarded to active soldiers or those within one to three months of retirement,” Jane asserted.
Previously, it was reported that Paian Siahaan, father of Ucok Munandar Siahaan, a student who disappeared during the 1997-1998 forced disappearances, filed a lawsuit against President Jokowi at PTUN Jakarta. The lawsuit pertains to the special award of the Honourary Four-Star General rank to Prabowo Subianto, as stated in Presidential Decree Number 13/TNI/2024.
Paian expressed his disappointment with President Jokowi, who, instead of fulfilling his promise to address past human rights violations, awarded the honorary rank to Prabowo, now the Defence Minister.
In 1998, Prabowo was honourably discharged from the Armed Forces (ABRI) through Presidential Decree Number 62/ABRI/1998 concerning the dismissal of Lieutenant General Prabowo Subianto in November 1998. At the time, Prabowo, holding the rank of lieutenant general, was associated with the Mawar Task Force, also known as Team Mawar, responsible for abducting pro-democracy activists.
“What we question is, why is someone who was discharged being honoured again?” Paian remarked at PTUN Jakarta on Thursday, 20 June 2024.
He added that Jokowi's generosity towards Prabowo was unfounded and illogical. He claimed that Jokowi's arbitrary actions in granting rank and a ministerial position to an alleged human rights violator had deeply hurt the victims' families.
“Even the National Human Rights Commission considers Prabowo as one of the alleged perpetrators,” he noted.
The lawsuit was registered at PTUN Jakarta on 28 May 2024, under case number 186/G/2024/PTUN.JKT. Paian is supported by the Civil Society Coalition Against Impunity, which includes the Families of the 1997-1998 Forced Disappearances, KontraS, Imparsial, AMAR, LBH Jakarta, YLBHI, and several other organisations. ***
