'Mindless people disrupt political development'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt.
\nGen. Syarwan Hamid warned Saturday that Indonesia's political
\ndevelopment has been disrupted by \"people who have lost their
\nbrains.\"<\/p>\n
These \"brainless\" people disrupt political development because
\nthey do not want to see the government improve its image
\ninternationally, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Based on ABRI's (the Armed Forces) observations, the process
\nof change and development is abated by certain groups in society
\nthat have lost their objectivity and conceptual clarity because
\nthey only think of their own interests,\" Syarwan said.<\/p>\n
He maintained that the groups exploited the liabilities and
\nexcesses of political development. \"If we are not on alert, we
\nmay be easily swayed by the various themes they present, which
\ninvolve disparity, democratization and human rights as if they
\nwere fighting for the common people,\" Syarwan warned.<\/p>\n
Syarwan was addressing a seminar organized by the Muhammadiyah
\nMoslem organization.<\/p>\n
The government and the military have cracked down on a tiny
\nstudent organization, the Democratic People's Army (PRD),
\naccusing it of masterminding the July 27 riots in the capital.<\/p>\n
The riots erupted after supporters of the government-
\nsanctioned faction of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) took
\nover the PDI headquarters, which was occupied by those loyal to
\nthe party's ousted leader, Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Syarwan has lead a chorus of officials and public figures in
\naccusing the PRD of utilizing and harboring communist designs.<\/p>\n
Several leaders of the PRD and its affiliate organizations,
\npopularly dubbed the rainbow coalition, and labor activist
\nMuchtar Pakpahan are in detention.<\/p>\n
On the surface people only see the PDI rift, however after the
\nriots it became obvious that these groups had launched an
\nideological propaganda campaign, Syarwan said.<\/p>\n
He said that when this is combined with subversive elements
\nfrom abroad, the danger to the state increases.<\/p>\n
\"Of course we realize that subversion by itself doesn't mean
\nanything without the support or involvement of subversives from
\nabroad. They all mesh together with various groups or individuals
\ninside the country,\" he was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
\"They are remnants of the Indonesian Communist Party. Radicals
\nwho hold separatist ideas, the new left and other extreme groups.
\nThey even include groups or individuals who are critical, vocal
\nand hold far more liberal attitudes than those who are liberals,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Syarwan maintained that the country still needed its
\ncontroversial 1963 subversion law.<\/p>\n
He said that as long as there were no replacement laws the
\nsubversion law should still be used, albeit selectively.<\/p>\n
He said that those involved in the July 27 riots would be
\ntried as soon as possible according to the Criminal Code, however
\nit is possible that the protagonists could be indicted under the
\nsubversion law. (mds)<\/p>",
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