Gus Dur warns govt against arbitrary arrests<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former president Abdurrahman Wahid, familiarly
\nknown as Gus Dur, warned the new government against the arbitrary
\narrest of prodemocracy activists, saying it would sow hatred
\nagainst the security authorities.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, also chairman of the advisory council of the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB), said the continuing arrests of
\nprodemocracy activists in East Java and other regions was
\nevidence that the new government, which was appointed by the
\nrecent \"unconstitutional\" special session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly, was repressive and undemocratic.<\/p>\n
\"The security authorities should not arrest any person
\narbitrarily or based on engineered grounds because this will
\ncertainly engender popular hatred against both them and the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"If the detainees are suspected of having been involved in
\npublic order offenses, let the courts decide whether they are
\nguilty or not,\" he said after a party meeting here on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The East Java Police have reportedly arrested dozens of
\nprodemocracy activists, including local leaders of the People's
\nDemocratic Party (PRD), for handing out leaflets calling for the
\ngeneral election to be brought forward.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur said several of the detainees had been released after
\nbeing subjected to indoctrination \"but this will certainly
\nincrease their hatred against the government and security
\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, I call on the National Commission on Human Rights
\nto investigate these arbitrary arrests to ascertain whether the
\ndetainees violated the law or not,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He added he could not handle the arbitrary arrests himself as
\nhe had yet to establish his planned foundation on human rights
\nand democracy.<\/p>\n
When asked who would replace Matori Abdul Djalil, who has now
\nbeen appointed as minister of defense, Gus Dur said that this
\nwould be decided at a national meeting of the party scheduled for
\nMonday and Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Muhaimin Iskandar, the secretary-general of the
\nPKB, said the main agenda of the party's national meeting was to
\ndecide the fate of Matori and of the PKB faction in the
\nlegislature, which had been dissolved following the issuance of
\nthe decree attempting to suspend the legislature by then
\npresident Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Muhaimin said the national meeting would decide what sanctions
\nwould be imposed on Matori, who broke party ranks on the special
\nsession, and would appoint acting party chairman Alwi Shihab as
\nthe definitive chairman.<\/p>\n
Meetings of the party's advisory and executive boards last
\nweek dismissed Matori from the party for his participation in the
\nAssembly's special session that removed Abdurrahman from the
\npresidency.<\/p>\n
Muhaimin said that despite the party' support for the decree,
\nthe national meeting would likely recommend the revival of the
\nparty factions in the House and Assembly to maintain the PKB
\nlegislators' monthly incomes and enable them to continue to
\nrepresent their constituents.<\/p>\n
\"Besides the question of representation, the financial
\nquestion is another reason why a lot of our legislators want to
\nrevive the PKB factions,\" he said, adding that several PKB
\nlegislators needed money to pay the installments on their cars.<\/p>\n
However, if the national meeting decided to permanently
\ndissolve the PKB factions in the legislative bodies, Muhaimin
\nsaid the PKB would turn itself into an \"advocacy party\" to help
\nuphold democracy and protect human rights in the country.<\/p>\n
\"To me, the fate of the PKB factions depends on an assessment
\nof how well it can play its political role in the legislature,\"
\nhe said. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-warns-govt-against-arbitrary-arrests-1447893297",
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