ABRI urged to join reform movement<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A group of retired generals and government
\ncritics appealed to the Armed Forces (ABRI) on Saturday to join
\nthe growing movement for political reform.<\/p>\n
The group said in a meeting that the reform movement would not
\nbe successful without the Armed Forces' active involvement.<\/p>\n
\"Almost all sections society, except ABRI, have agreed on the
\nneed for thorough political reform in the country,\" said Lt. Gen.
\n(ret.) Solichin G.P. during a break of a meeting held at former
\nJakarta governor Ali Sadikin's residence in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Solichin, former secretary of development supervision and
\noperation, said all sections of society had to support the calls
\nfor reform now being publicly voiced by university students
\nacross the archipelago.<\/p>\n
\"Such thorough reform is extremely urgent because it could
\nquickly lift the nation out of the crisis,\" he told reporters.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, the student calls for immediate and total reform
\nshould be fully supported,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Calls for ABRI's active involvement in the reform movement
\nfirst came from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) last month.<\/p>\n
The 30-million-strong Moslem organization said in a statement
\nthat ABRI should protect and support public demands for
\ngovernment improvement.<\/p>\n
\"It's appropriate that ABRI become part of the reform
\nmovement,\" it said.<\/p>\n
Speaking about the justification for immediate and total
\nreform, Solichin said the government had failed to carry out a
\nthorough development program.<\/p>\n
\"The government has failed to bring prosperity to the nation,
\nwhile we (the nation) have spent a lot of our time and resources
\nfor the government-planned development program,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that much of the people's efforts to build a better
\nnation had been made in vain.<\/p>\n
\"We (the people) should not let the state leaders, who have
\nfailed to perform their duties well, continue their service,\" he
\nsaid<\/p>\n
He said it would be too late for the nation to wait until the
\nnext General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\nin 2003.<\/p>\n
\"The reforms should be made immediately by an extraordinary
\nsession of the Assembly,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Asked about the role the Armed Forces could play in the reform
\nmovement, Solichin said ABRI should act as the constitutional
\nsupervisor of the movement.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI should make sure that the student movement for reform is
\ngenuine and will not be exploited by any political adventurers,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He said that ABRI's top brass should be directly asked to
\nsupport the student movement.<\/p>\n
\"All parties, especially senior (retired) military officials,
\nhave to persuade the Armed Forces leaders to support the student
\nmovement,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Present at the meeting was host Ali Sadikin, former National
\nPolice chief Gen. (ret.) Hoegeng Imam Santoso, former Indonesian
\nambassador to the Philippines Lt. Gen. (ret.) Moersjid, leader of
\nthe new Indonesian Nationalists Party (PNI Baru) Supeni,
\neconomist Sri Edi Swasono and activists of the Petisi 50 group of
\ngovernment critics. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abri-urged-to-join-reform-movement-1447893297",
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