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By Staffano Suleman and Anand Teresia
Jakarta, May 22 (Reuters) – Indonesia is expected to appoint a military officer – once found guilty of kidnapping rights activists – a top finance ministry post, two sources said, underlining the growing role of the army in controlling the world’s third largest democracy.
The appointment expected by the Finance Minister to be formally expected on Friday is the most prominent civil post given to a military officer as the government gave a legal cover for such posting in March, which may lead Indonesia to powerful rule for fear of rights groups.
In the 1990s, he was a member of the special forces of the army, when he was expected to take command by President Prabovo Sabiento, Lieutenant General Jaka Budhti Utma, as the head of the Customs and Excise Unit of the Revenue Department, was told to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
Sources asked to be identified as they were not authorized to talk to the media on the issue.
The President’s office did not respond to several requests for the comment, nor by a military spokesperson. The Finance Ministry refused to comment.
The previous local media reports stated that several members of the “Rose Team” of Utama and Special forces were found guilty of kidnapping and disappearing the rights activists during the 1990s rule in the 1990s, uprooted by the General in 1998.
According to local media reports, Utama was sentenced to a year and four months in jail in 1999 after a military test, but it is not clear that he served at any time in jail. He remained in the army despite the punishment.
“This is a rollback of Indonesia’s Democratic Reforms,” Amnesty International Indonesia’s Usman Hamid also told Reuters, also indicating that under the new law, military personnel were posted on several civilian positions, including the finance ministry, including the finance ministry, first retired.
Utama remains in active service.
“This is a clear evidence of ignorance of the rights of the victims,” said Ardi Manto Ediputra to the empiric of the right group. Utama has also served in positions in other ministries, but he was related to security, contrary to his expected Finance Ministry posting.
“To lead the customs unit, it must be a person who understands the complexity of customs issues,” said Jane Rezaki, an economist at the University of Indonesia.
Prabovo, who took over last October, was dismissed from the army following allegations of human rights violations – although there were no formal allegations. (Reporting by Anand Teresia and Stephano Suleiman; Editing by Gibran Pacific and Kate Meberry)
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