JAKARTA (IslamOnline) - Kicked out of politics amid accusations of human rights abuses former Security Chief of Indonesia, General Wiranto, is set to take to the road to promote his new career as a singer.
Thanks to the success of his first album “For You My Indonesia”, Wiranto has decided to concentrate on this new career and polish his image.
He will visit 10 Indonesian cities to promote the album and said the proceeds will still be given to charities and other organizations helping refugees in war torn Indonesian provinces.
Wiranto revealed that his album, launched last month at a party at the Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta, is already a hit, having sold 100,000 CD’s and 200,000 cassettes. He is said to be working on another album of love songs which may be released later this year.
Wiranto, who has long listed karaoke singing establishments as a hobby, was Indonesian Defense Forces commander when pro-Jakarta militias rampaged across East Timor in the days after it voted on August 30th of last year to break free of Indonesian rule.
He became Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security in October 1999 as part of Indonesia’s first freely elected government in almost half a century.
He was forced to quit his cabinet post in February over allegations that he was partly responsible for the bloodshed and destruction in East Timor.
The former minister denied the accusations and has not been included on a list of suspects now being formally investigated by the Attorney General’s Office.
The office, however, said recently that no one would be left out if they were suspected to have participated in any of the crimes against the nation.
Wiranto still enjoys significant influence in his former service, the Army, which has been a focus of hardline opposition to democratic reforms introduced by the government of Abdurrahman Wahid.
