ABRI asked to make 'positive contribution'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives speaker Wahono
\nyesterday told the Armed Forces, now a target of human rights
\nabuse allegations, to make a "positive contribution" to the
\nnation.<\/p>\n
"It is expected that the Armed Forces be able to safeguard and
\nimplement its commitments as a vanguard of the people's
\ninterests," he said.<\/p>\n
The House Speaker made the remarks while opening this year's
\nfourth session of the House, which has just convened after a
\nmonth-long recess.<\/p>\n
Wahono, a retired lieutenant general and a one-time chief of
\nthe ruling Golkar party, asked the Armed Forces (ABRI) to examine
\nthe recent cases that have put the military in the spotlight.<\/p>\n
He singled out the recent shooting spree in Timika, Irian
\nJaya, by a soldier from the Army's Special Force, who killed 19
\npeople, most of whom were soldiers.<\/p>\n
"The incident shocked us...we are deeply concerned. It should
\nbe thoroughly investigated," Wahono said.<\/p>\n
The preliminary investigation conducted by the Armed Forces
\nconcluded that the trigger-happy soldier was temporarily deranged
\nby tropical malaria when he went berserk in the Timika Airport
\nhangar.<\/p>\n
ABRI, which plays a dominant role in Indonesian politics, has
\nhad to contend with further allegations of human rights abuses
\nsince it clamped down on a massive student demonstration in
\nUjungpandang, South Sulawesi, on April 22.<\/p>\n
Armed Forces Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Soeyono has
\npublicly admitted that three students were killed, saying they
\njumped into a river to evade arrest.<\/p>\n
The military has formed a team to investigate the incident, as
\nhas the National Commission on Human Rights. Neither organization
\nhas announced its findings.<\/p>\n
Wahono also called on the Armed Forces to pay greater
\nattention to the incidents of student brawling in the capital
\nthis year that have claimed at least seven lives and injured
\nscores of students.<\/p>\n
Last year, 12 students were killed in street fights in
\nJakarta, according to police reports.<\/p>\n
He called on the government and the public to seek
\nexplanations as to why urban youths are turning to violence.<\/p>\n
"So serious is this problem that President Soeharto has
\nexpressed his deep concern, too," the House Speaker said.<\/p>\n
He said that fast changing social values and the influence of
\nviolent television programs are contributing to the youth
\ndelinquency problem.<\/p>\n
Changing social values, he said, require planners of the
\nnation's development programs to go back to the drawing board and
\nseek improvements.<\/p>\n
"We should ask ourselves: Has national development contributed
\nto the loosening of our moral standards and familial
\nrelationships?" he asked.<\/p>\n
Wahono proposed that school curricula place more emphasis on
\nmoral lessons as one possible remedy. (pan)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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