Habibie saddened by violence<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie expressed his sadness on
\nSaturday over the recent outburst of violence in several regions
\nof the country, including Banyuwangi in East Java which has borne
\nwitness to more than 100 killings recently.<\/p>\n
The President said the recent brutalities were a cause for
\nsorrow because they had victimized many innocent people,
\nincluding local Moslem leaders. He conceded that the government
\nshould be able to demonstrate to the public that it is serious in
\nits efforts to uphold the law.<\/p>\n
He therefore instructed the country's law enforcers to work
\nhard to solve the murders, although he acknowledged that it was
\nnot an easy task to settle such a complex problem in a short
\ntime.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, the President also, for the first time, openly
\ntalked about the riots and violence that took place throughout
\nthe 1980s. He mentioned \"incidents which affected Moslems ... in
\nAceh, Lampung, Tanjung Priok and the ongoing case in Banyuwangi\"
\nas cases that attracted the attention of the international
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
Habibie was addressing the closing ceremony of the five-day
\nIndonesian Moslem Congress at the Merdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
Congress organizers said the event was intended to boost
\nsolidarity among Moslems, to help accelerate the reform program,
\nand to help head off the possible disintegration of society.<\/p>\n
Critics said the congress -- the first held since 1945 -- was
\nan attempt to use Moslems to endorse and establish the legitimacy
\nof Habibie's administration.<\/p>\n
\"Under the difficult situation now facing us, I can understand
\nthat some people have become impatient and lost their common
\nsense in dealing with the problem facing us,\" Habibie said.<\/p>\n
Saturday was the first time Habibie has publicly acknowledged
\npublic anger over human rights abuse in various parts of the
\ncountry, including Aceh, Lampung and Tanjung Priok in North
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
\n(Kontras) in September urged the government to reinvestigate the
\n1989 Lampung incident, saying the death toll was at least 246
\npeople, nearly eight times higher than the official account.<\/p>\n
Led by then Col. Hendropriyono, troops clashed with a group
\ncalling itself Mujahidin Fisabilillah. One Army captain died in
\nthe incident. Lt. Gen. Hendropriyono is currently Minister of
\nTransmigration.<\/p>\n
The Tanjung Priok case -- when troops opened fire on
\ndemonstrators -- occurred in 1984. Human rights activists believe
\nthe death toll was also much higher than the military's official
\naccount, which states that nine people lost their lives.<\/p>\n
Military atrocities became a somewhat regular occurrence in
\nAceh during the 10 years when the province was designated as a
\nmilitary operation region.<\/p>\n
Also at Saturday's event, Ali Yafie, the deputy chairman of
\nIndonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), presented Habibie with a five-
\npage declaration prepared by the congress.<\/p>\n
The congress participants stated in the declaration that they
\nsupported the People's Consultative Assembly Special Session,
\nwhich is to be held from Nov. 10 through Nov. 13, the general
\nelection in May next year and presidential and vice presidential
\nelections in December next year.<\/p>\n
\"The (congress) calls on all the nation to safeguard the three
\nevents as best as possible. The security forces are also expected
\nto carry out their duty to safeguard the national agenda,\" it
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
It also demanded the government respond to allegations of
\nhuman rights violations in Irian Jaya, East Timor, Tanjung Priok,
\nand Aceh.<\/p>\n
One congress commission issued a recommendation that the
\ncountry's president and vice president should be Moslem and male,
\nbut this was excluded from the final agenda.<\/p>\n
Critics said the gender requirement was directed at opposition
\nleader Megawati Soekarnoputri. (prb)<\/p>",
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