If Prabowo is elected . . . how will the White House address his invitations to state dinners?

At this point, additional re-posting of the ever-lengthening line of Prabowo’s dirty laundry almost seems like kicking a puppy.  (Almost, but not quite.)  So I’ll sum up one more 3-day media fest and then move on—or rather, back—to Aceh and JMD’s cocoa improvement project, which as of this month heads into its second year of assistance by the Embassy of Finland, which will hopefully put this small but determined rainforest-based association on the cocoa producing map. Then maybe finally we will get a little respect from those large donors and cocoa producing companies who talk a good game about “fair trade” and “certified organic” but can never seem to answer basic questions like “where exactly are your farmers located,” and “how do you determine what is ‘fair’ and what is ‘organic’”? and “do you know for certain that any of your farms ever get monitored?”

But for now . . .

Back to the ringside seat, right outside the bag, where the cat was let out about a week ago and now Prabowo is defending himself to every media source imaginable, including last week’s debates, where in answer to a pointed question from opposing VP Candidate Kalla about his involvement in 1998 war crimes in locations including Aceh and East Timor, he said  “I am a former soldier who has done his duty as best as I can. Aside from that, it is up to the judgment of my superiors.”

When he finally twigged to the fact that the public was beginning to see him as a gross violator of human rights (see, he’s quick like that) he announced:  “I am the toughest human-rights defender in the republic.”

Then the Jakarta Post re-printed the story of the leaked documents and a prior interview with Prabowo (remember his “I am not a crook, I was framed, they all hate me” interview a few weeks back?) in which he admitted to just a little bit of kidnapping, but he was under orders . . .  which REALLY ticked off those in the political know who were around during both Sukarno and Suharto’s presidencies and even despite their distaste for one or the other president, think that Prabowo has stooped to a new low to hide behind either.

Prabowo supporters think it’s all a big “smear campaign” to discredit their candidate.  Indeed, he does still seem to have supporters, if attendance at recent rallies is any indicator.

It floors me, it really does.  What will it take for people to realize that one of their presidential candidates is an unapologetic monster?  Sure, we have unapologetic monsters all the time in politics, but this is as creepy as something like serial killer Charles Manson still having delusional groupies after 40 years in prison, only Prabowo’s followers are not a ragtag bunch of fruit loops.

See? This is what poverty, and frustration, and sexual repression, and yes, civil rights abuse creates: a group of people so angry they have lost sight of anything having to do with peace and justice and the future.  It makes sense that Prabowo would harness their dark energy.  For a “former soldier,” there is no future, there is only one continuous, painful, bloody present, with the enemy everywhere, the reward forgotten.

Prabowo ‘ordered by Soeharto  to kidnap activists’

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/06/11/prabowo-ordered-soeharto-kidnap-activists.html

Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto reportedly revealed that former president Soeharto ordered him to kidnap pro-democracy activists in May 1998, which saw him dismissed from the Indonesian Military (TNI), according to Veterans Association (Pepabri) chairman Gen. (ret) Agum Gumelar.

“Prabowo told me when he visited Pepabri recently, that he was ordered by former president Soeharto to kidnap the activists. I was quite shocked, because he didn’t say anything about that when the [TNI] Officers Honorary Council [DKP] questioned him,” he said in a live TV interview on Tuesday.

Agum acknowledged he was skeptical about the statement as he knew Soeharto would not have ordered something so controversial during a chaotic time, even though Prabowo was then Soeharto’s son-in-law.

Agum attended the live TV interview to answer questions regarding the reasons behind Prabowo’s 
dismissal from the TNI — a topic that emerged during Monday evening’s live presidential candidate debate when rival vice presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla asked the question.

In his response, Prabowo answered: “I am a former soldier who did his duty as best as I could. Aside from that, it’s up to the judgment of my superiors.” 

“I am the toughest human-rights defender in the republic,” he added.

His tone rose noticeably when Kalla pushed him to elaborate on incidents surrounding the fall of Soeharto in May 1998. 

However, a leaked document circulated on the Internet recently detailing the reasons behind the dismissal of Prabowo from military service on Aug. 21, 1998. It cast doubt on the former general’s suitability to serve as president, if elected on July 9.

The document — which was a scanned copy of the official letter signed by members of the DKP tasked with hearing the case of Prabowo’s complicity in the kidnapping of pro-democracy activists in 1998 — revealed that the former Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) commander was also fired from his position due to insubordination.

The signatories in the document were DKP chairman Gen. Subagyo Hadi Siswoyo, who was also the Army chief of staff; secretary Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago; Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, now the incumbent President; Lt. Gen. Fachrul Razi; Lt. Gen. Yusuf Kartanegara; Lt. Gen. Arie J. Kumaat; and Lt. Gen. Agum Gumelar.

Agum said the leaked document, including the other violations Prabowo was said to have committed, was valid. 

He acknowledged Prabowo was an undisciplined soldier during the time, citing the activists’ kidnapping as one of his violations where he ignored orders from his superiors.

The issues surrounding Prabowo’s controversial past have recently emerged due to public pressure, which forced the General Elections Commission (KPU) to agree to the demand to include human rights in the broad topic of democracy and legal certainty in the first presidential candidate debate.

Prabowo’s supporters deem accusations regarding the presidential candidate’s track record as part of a smear campaign to dent his popularity. 

On Aug. 25, 1998, The Jakarta Post reported that the Armed Forces (ABRI, as the TNI was then known) honorably discharged then Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto and removed two senior Kopassus officers from active duty as punishment for their role in the abduction and torture of political activists.

The ABRI also announced Prabowo was entitled to his pension, but said he could face a military tribunal in the future if more damning evidence of his involvement in the kidnappings was discovered.

In front of local and foreign journalists at the Armed Forces’ Merdeka Barat headquarters in Central Jakarta, then minister of defense and security and ABRI commander Gen. Wiranto announced the decision, which was issued on the recommendation of the DKP that had investigated the abductions.

“My decision regarding Lt. Gen. Prabowo is to end his active service with the Armed Forces. Prabowo is no longer included in any ABRI structure. He is a civilian now,” Wiranto said at the time.