Gus Dur continues overseas trip despite Sampit rage<\/p>\n
By Budiman Moerdijat<\/p>\n
CAIRO (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid said here on Monday
\nthat he would continue his two-week overseas trip despite the
\nbloody ethnic pogrom raging in Central Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman said he had already consulted with Coordinating
\nMinister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono and National Police chief Surojo Bimantoro on
\nwhether or not he should cut short his peregrinations, "but they
\nboth said that I should continue my trip."<\/p>\n
He said that he had consulted both of them after he had
\nreceived calls from Indonesia urging him to return.<\/p>\n
When pressed to disclose the names of those who had been
\ncalling on him to cut short his trip, Abdurrahman said : "There
\nwere several, but I can't disclose there names to you."<\/p>\n
Citing reports from Susilo and Surojo, Abdurrahman said that
\nthe situation in Sampit, where a week of murderous attacks,
\nmostly perpetrated by ethnic Dayaks on Madurese settlers, have
\nleft at least 300 dead, was now "fully under control".<\/p>\n
"Both said the most critical time in Sampit had passed and
\nthat the security forces were already there to restore order, and
\nthat two battalions of Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad)
\ntroops were also on their way," Abdurrahman told reporters
\ntraveling with the presidential entourage.<\/p>\n
He admitted, however, that he had been "a bit concerned" with
\nthe violence.<\/p>\n
"I would, therefore, like to convey my condolences to the
\nfamilies of the victims and my deepest sympathy to those who have
\nhad to flee the violence," Abdurrahman said referring to the
\nchaotic evacuation of some 24,000 Madurese refugees.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman has been under mounting criticism back home for
\nleaving behind the Sampit violence.<\/p>\n
The President then accused the media of "exaggerating" and
\nsaid that media reports of decapitated corpses lying on the
\nstreets of Sampit were untrue.<\/p>\n
"There is an attempt to blow the violence out of all
\nproportion ... in Sampit the death toll is 191 and it is not true
\nthat bodies were found lying in the streets," Abdurrahman said.<\/p>\n
He added, however, that Susilo told him that "two headless
\nbodies" had been found when he visited Sampit on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Cooperation<\/p>\n
Commenting on his talks with Egyptian President Husni Mubarak
\nearlier in the day, Abdurrahman said the two had discussed the
\nstalled Middle East peace talks and how to further expand
\ncooperation between Jakarta and Cairo.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman is scheduled to leave for Nigeria on Tuesday
\nmorning to meet with Nigerian President Olusegun Abasanjo. From
\nthere he will fly to Sudan for the next leg of his foreign tour
\nwhich will include a Haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
He is not expected to return to Jakarta until March 7.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-continues-overseas-trip-despite-sampit-rage-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }