PRESIDENT PRABOWO?

Prabowo of the CIA?

Rumour has it that Prabowo has growing support among the poor.

Jakartass relates that Prabowo Subianto is hoping to become the President of the world's fourth largest country, in terms of population.

American-trained Prabowo is the former boss of Indonesia's special forces (Kopassus).

He is also a former son in law of former president Suharto.

Prabowo is notorious for human rights abuses.

Indonesia is the world's largest Moslem country, in terms of population.

Prabowo Subianto has denied accusations that he organised terror squads in East Timor during Indonesia's bloody 24-year occupation and that he orchestrated riots and mass rapes of ethnic Chinese women in Jakarta prior to Suharto's fall,

But he has not shied away from responsibility for the kidnappings of student activists in the last days of his then father-in-law, telling foreign journalists last month his "conscience is clear" over the abductions.

Jakartass writes: "There's no way he can deny it - the army command kicked him out and he went off to build up his fortune in the Lebanon.

"Much of his wealth is being spent on a media campaign which, if his party gains a sufficient percentage of the votes, will enable him to campaign for the presidency. This election is in July.

"What makes this of particular interest is that two of the kidnapped activists are now legislative candidates for Prabowo's party and another heads up his media centre."

Indonesians

Of the 23 activists abducted in 1997 and 1998, one is known to be dead and 13 are missing.

Raharja Waluya Jati was held in a cell for 45 days and tortured in what he suspects, but is not sure, was Kopassus headquarters.

At night, he communicated by yelling down the hall to the three kidnap victims now with Gerindra, and to friends who never returned.

"Prabowo needs the victims to get legitimacy and wash his bloody hands," Jati said, adding the alliance was likely motivated by the victims' own thirst for political power.

"I have four friends still missing now and when I talk to their families they just want to know about their sons. Prabowo knows about everything, including my friends who are still missing." -Kidnapper recruits victims in Indonesia vote

Photo of Prabowo from news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/460702.stm

American trained General Prabowo is said to be a friend of the CIA.

Domingos Guterres, from East Timor, alleges that in 1989 he was tortured for 35 days by soldiers under General Prabowo's command. Guterres claims General Prabowo personally carried out acts of torture.

In the 1983 Kraras massacres in East Timor, about 300 people are believed to have been buried in mass graves after a series of executions that the locals say were carried out under General Prabowo. ( Torture evidence mounts against Indonesian general )

Prabowo is again in the news.

Presidential elections will be held in Indonesia in 2009.

Indonesia is the world's biggest Moslem nation and it is the world's 4th biggest nation in terms of population.

Indonesia guards important sea lanes and has important mineral wealth and a large military.

President Yudhoyono will seek a second term, while his predecessor Megawati Sukarnoputri will also run again.

Another person who wants to become president is alleged torturer General Prabowo Subianto. ( Self Promotion Strategies )

According to The Economist, March 2009 (Indonesia's parliamentary election Unencumbered incumbent.):

"Barring a cataclysm, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the president, is so far ahead that his re-election should be relatively straightforward, perhaps even without a run-off... Indonesia is weathering the global financial economic slump better than most places...

"The greatest excitement is being provided by Prabowo Subianto, a former son-in-law of Suharto and head under him of a notorious special-forces unit accused of many atrocities over the years.

"His military career foundered after Suharto’s downfall. But backed by his billionaire brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, he formed the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) last year.

"It is waging a slick, populist campaign aimed at the mass of poor voters.

"Gerindra may well win enough votes for Mr Prabowo to join Mr Yudhoyono and Mrs Megawati in an unlikely three-cornered presidential race."




Video: Prabowo advert

Lieutenant General Prabowo Subianto, the leader of the new nationalist political party Partai Gerakan Indonesia Raya (Gerindra), is using television. (Self Promotion Strategies)

In one advertisement Prabowo, as chairman of the Farmers’ Federation, "is shown strolling about fields chatting with, and listening to, men on the land."

Prabowo speaks of his calling to serve the nation.

It has been alleged that the CIA used General Prabowo to topple President Suharto.

In 1998, when Suharto was apparently toppled by the CIA, one of the key generals was Prabowo, son of Dr. Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, a former Finance Minister, said to have once worked with the British and the Americans against Sukarno.

Prabowo learnt about terrorism at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning in the US. General Prabowo and terror (http://yayasanhak.minihub.org/mot/Prabowo.htm)

In May 1998, Prabowo was commander of Kostrad, the strategic reserve, the regiment Suharto commanded when he took power in 1965.

Prabowo's friend Muchdi ran Kopassus (special forces) and his friend Sjafrie ran the Jakarta Area Command.

The American Defence Secretary, William Cohen, was in Jakarta in January 1998 and he visited Prabowo.

The CIA chief had also been a recent visitor to Jakarta. The CIA and the Pentagon were close to Prabowo. (http://solidarity.igc.org/atc/emily75.html)


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