Feisal warns of groups exploiting economic crisis<\/p>\n
BOGOR, West Java (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal
\nTanjung has again pinned the blame for recent riots and
\ndemonstrations for total reform, on \"certain groups\" seeking to
\nsubvert the government.<\/p>\n
Feisal said the political moves were exploiting the economic
\ncrisis to undermine the government's credibility, demoralize the
\nelite and use the momentum to force a change of national
\nleadership.<\/p>\n
\"Crying foul over price hikes, they spark anarchy and behave
\nbrutally. Does it indicate a conspiracy to boost a political
\nmovement?\" Feisal said in a speech delivered by ABRI Chief of
\nSociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah.<\/p>\n
Feisal was briefing leaders of the Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI) who convened here to select their presidential and vice
\npresidential candidates.<\/p>\n
Feisal did not identify the plotters, but was sure they were
\nan alliance between people bent on subversion and those who were
\nantiestablishment.<\/p>\n
Rising prices of basic commodities have triggered sporadic
\nriots in a number of towns in Central Java, East Java, South
\nSulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara and Irian Jaya.
\nIn the disturbances mobs attacked and looted shops and
\nsupermarkets.<\/p>\n
Rallies have become a common sight in Jakarta in the past
\nmonth with protesters' demands ranging from price cuts to a new
\npresident.<\/p>\n
Feisal said the groups incited such violent activities because
\nthey realized it was impossible for them to undertake total
\nreform through constitutional means.<\/p>\n
He said the Armed Forces agreed that political and economic
\nreform was a must, but it should proceed step by step.<\/p>\n
\"Reform does not have to mean an overhaul of the system, but
\nan improvement. The changes should not break away from the
\nnational consensus to preserve the state ideology Pancasila,
\nsustain development programs and maintain national stability,\"
\nsaid Feisal.<\/p>\n
Snowballing<\/p>\n
Earlier in the same gathering, Minister of Home Affairs Moch.
\nYogie S.M. issued the same warning that the mounting radicalism
\nwas orchestrated by certain interest groups taking advantage of
\nthe economic crisis to erode public confidence in the government.<\/p>\n
\"They always try to spark social unrest to test the security
\nauthorities and law enforcement bodies. It may be a snowballing
\nmovement that can pose a threat to the general session of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly,\" Yogie said in his speech read by
\nthe secretary-general of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Suryatna
\nSubrata.<\/p>\n
\"They never think of the huge number of people who become
\nvictims. Instead, they pin the blame for any casualties on other
\ngroups,\" said Yogie.<\/p>\n
The General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly,
\nscheduled for March 1 through March 11, will endorse the state
\npolicy guidelines for the next five years and elect a president
\nand vice president.<\/p>\n
Yogie said the groups had formed illegal solidarity
\norganizations to provoke people to take to the streets and commit
\ncrimes. He said the disorder served as a conditioning step before
\nthey launched a bigger move.<\/p>\n
He said the groups received support from a small number of the
\nelite who sympathized with them, and used mass media outlets as
\ntheir means to carry out their political maneuvers.<\/p>\n
However, Yogie failed to unveil which media had been exploited
\nby the unnamed groups. (amd)<\/p>",
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