ABRI urged to act against lawlessness<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The military has been urged to take immediate
\naction to curb looting, robbery and other forms of lawlessness
\nwhich have increased fears of a further decrease in investors'
\ninterest in the country.<\/p>\n
The monthly ministerial meeting on political affairs and
\nsecurity, led by Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
\nSecurity Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung, recommended swift action be
\ntaken by the Armed Forces to prevent further looting and robbery,
\nincluding the armed robbery of container trucks.<\/p>\n
\"Looting and robbery could decrease foreign investors'
\nconfidence in investing their money here,\" the meeting concluded
\nin a statement as read out by secretary to Coordinating Minister
\nfor Political Affairs and Security R. Karyono.<\/p>\n
\"With the support of the people, all parties, especially
\nsecurity officials and businesspeople, (ABRI) is expected to take
\npreventive measures against such lawlessness,\" it said.<\/p>\n
Also yesterday, Minister of Defense\/Armed Forces Commander
\nGen. Wiranto called on the Indonesian media not to blow up the
\nissue, and asserted that his men were ready to tackle incidents
\nof looting and robbery.<\/p>\n
\"Looting and robbery have happened, but they are not a trend
\nhere,\" Wiranto told reporters after the meeting.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot tolerate such unlawfulness. ABRI will take action
\nto provide safety to the people and their belongings and to
\n'neutralize' the lootings and robberies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Some 500 people reportedly looted a cooking oil stand at a
\nfair organized by the country's cooperatives over the weekend.
\nHowever, Minister of Cooperatives Adi Sasono said the \"cooking
\noil was just given by the cooperatives to the people crowding at
\nthe kiosk when it was raining\".<\/p>\n
Incidents of looting were also reported last week at shrimp
\nfarms, coffee plantations and food warehouses in East Java.
\nReports also said hundreds of people in Bogor, West Java, took
\nover some parts of a cattle ranch owned by former president
\nSoeharto.<\/p>\n
Local villagers say they rightfully own the land that was
\ndeveloped into a ranch by Soeharto in 1972.<\/p>\n
Some analysts have linked the offenses to the skyrocketing
\nprices of goods and unemployment as Indonesia struggles with its
\nworst economic crisis in three decades, which heralded the
\nresignation of Soeharto after 32 years of strong-arm rule.<\/p>\n
Yesterday in Yogyakarta, sociologist Loekman Soetrisno said
\nthe spate of lootings were an expression of people's long pent-up
\nfrustration. \"They have been frustrated all this time ... People
\nare in serious difficulties because of the economic crisis, so as
\nsoon as an opportunity rises, they grab whatever they can take,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"No matter what, looting is a radical action that can never be
\ncondoned and has to be stopped as it violates the law and order,\"
\nhe said. \"We must not let the situation drag on and cause legal
\nuncertainty.\"<\/p>\n
He called on security officials, however, to take a persuasive
\napproach rather than come down strong on people involved in
\nlooting and robbery. \"Go to the people and talk with them. Don't
\nuse repressive measures, especially involving weapons,\" said
\nLoekman, who is a professor at Gadjah Mada University.<\/p>\n
He also called for efforts to strengthen social solidarity.
\n\"Those who have more should help those with less. The bazaars for
\nbasic commodities may seem trivial, but they have deep
\nmeaning ... a display of solidarity and a statement that we are
\nin this together.\" (23\/swe\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abri-urged-to-act-against-lawlessness-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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