Habibie makes missing persons cases a priority<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie told his Cabinet
\nyesterday to make an all-out effort to trace activists who were
\nstill missing and to get to the bottom of the mysterious
\nkidnappings.<\/p>\n
\"The disappearance cases must be resolved as objectively and
\nas systematically as possible,\" Minister of Information Lt. Gen.
\nMuhammad Yunus quoted the President as saying during a monthly
\nCabinet meeting on political and security affairs at the Bina
\nGraha presidential office.<\/p>\n
Yunus told journalists that Minister of Defense and
\nSecurity\/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto assured the
\nCabinet that efforts were continuing to settle the kidnapping
\ncases.<\/p>\n
\"Because we are upholding the principle of innocence until
\nproven guilty, ABRI will not elaborate (on the identity of
\nsuspects) until it has strong evidence. This is sometimes
\nmisinterpreted as being slow while in fact it isn't. In reality
\nwe are continuing our work,\" Yunus said.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the National Commission on Human Rights warned
\nduring a meeting with Habibie that the government's credibility
\nwould depend, to some extent, on its ability to resolve various
\nhuman rights cases, including the disappearances of activists and
\nan opposition politician.<\/p>\n
The Commission has already stated that the kidnappings were
\nconducted by a \"well-organized group\".<\/p>\n
Habibie told commission members that he would settle the
\nissue, but that investigators needed time since the Armed Forces
\nneeded to conduct an \"internal consolidation\".<\/p>\n
Institute<\/p>\n
During the meeting the President also suggested the
\npossibility of establishing a research and development
\ninstitution for national economic competitiveness to address both
\nmacroeconomic and microeconomic problems in the economy.<\/p>\n
The final goal of the organization would be to promote fair
\ncompetition in the business sector and to scrap all unhealthy
\npractices, including monopolies, in the economy.<\/p>\n
\"The institution would be aimed at promoting clean practices
\nin the economy, and struggle for fairness and equality in the
\nbusiness world,\" said Yunus.<\/p>\n
\"So we won't (in the future) find in our economy any more
\nmonopolies, whether in industry or trade, or whether in the
\nforestry or the plantation sector,\" Yunus said, stressing that
\ninjustice bred public frustration.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that last month's riots here, which claimed as
\nmany as 1,118 lives, were actually triggered by public anger over
\nthe perception that a minority unfairly dominated the economy.<\/p>\n
\"Some people believe the May riots were caused by racial,
\nreligious or ethnic problems. The real motive was actually a
\ndemand for justice,\" Yunus cited Habibie as saying.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the security situation, especially in Jakarta
\nwhich the minister described as \"a national barometer\", Yunus
\nsaid the situation was generally under control.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that there had been some attempts to hold mass
\ndemonstrations, but that they generally had been peacefully
\nfoiled.<\/p>\n
\"Thus far the security apparatus has succeeded in minimizing
\nor localizing such activities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In yesterday's meeting, the President also asserted that the
\ngovernment would not restrict press freedoms.<\/p>\n
However, he also warned the national press not to exploit
\ntheir freedom for the sake of freedom itself, because
\nirresponsible reporting would only worsen the country's situation
\nand eventually victimize the press itself.<\/p>\n
\"When we are out of control, then we ourselves only contribute
\nto the worsening economy,\" Habibie said. (prb)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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