ABRI ready for dialog with students: Yudhoyono<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The powerful Armed Forces (ABRI) reiterated
\nyesterday its commitment to developing open dialog with students
\nwho have been exerting pressure on the government to resolve the
\neconomic crisis.<\/p>\n
A similar open attitude will be shown to other government
\ncritics, according to Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
\nAssistant to the Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI is ready to sit down at the same table with students and
\nother government critics,\" Susilo told reporters after a ceremony
\nmarking the transfer of duties from the outgoing Minister of
\nDefense Gen. (ret) Edi Sudradjat to Gen. Wiranto.<\/p>\n
ABRI, he said, was now working on a plan to hold dialog with
\nstudents and other government critics. The dialog, he said, would
\nbe conducted at national and provincial levels.<\/p>\n
\"Regional and lower military commands should not wait for
\nfurther instruction from ABRI headquarters. They can hold
\ndiscussions without waiting for our permission,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Susilo promised the open stance would be maintained and the
\ndialogues continued on an intermittent basis, and follow up
\nactions would be taken.<\/p>\n
Susilo, who will replace Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah as the Armed
\nForces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Friday, said the dialogues
\nshould be based on good intentions from both sides and should not
\nbe used as a forum to attack each other's stance.<\/p>\n
\"The dialogues should discuss efforts to help the government
\nand the people settle the monetary crisis,\" he said. He said
\nneither party should bring with them preconditions, as they could
\nhamper rather than facilitate dialogues.<\/p>\n
Gen. Wiranto said last week that he was opening the door to
\ndialog with students and government critics, including Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, the ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI), Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama
\n(NU) Moslem organization, and Amien Rais, chairman of the
\nMuhammadiyah Moslem organization.<\/p>\n
He agreed that dialog and discussion should be an integral
\npart of efforts to settle the crisis, which he said must be the
\ntop priority for the new administration.<\/p>\n
Susilo said that Wiranto did not mean that \"anybody can ask to
\nhold discussions at any time, because the Armed Forces commander
\nis bound by military protocol and a tight schedule.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, outgoing defense minister Edi Sudradjat said it
\nwould be good if the students and the people shared their
\nthoughts and opinions on the monetary crisis and the soaring
\nprice of basic commodities.<\/p>\n
\"It shows that they are still concerned with the nation,\" he
\nsaid, adding that the government and the legislative bodies
\nshould not ignore student aspirations.<\/p>\n
\"The legislative bodies should listen to the students, and the
\ngovernment should respond to their demands,\" he said. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abri-ready-for-dialog-with-students-yudhoyono-1447893297",
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