Moslem group stages anticommunist rally<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of Moslems gathered at the Istiqlal
\nGrand Mosque on Wednesday to champion causes ranging from raising
\npublic awareness of communist threats to supporting President
\nB.J. Habibie and his reform programs.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Council of Ulemas organized the gathering,
\nwhich also provided an occasion to launch the Moslem Forum of the
\nUpholders of Justice and the Constitution (FURKON).<\/p>\n
\"FURKON judges (that)...the national leadership succession on
\nMay 21, 1998 from president H.M. Soeharto to Baharuddin Jusuf
\nHabibie was legal and constitutional,\" said the newly launched
\norganization in a written statement.<\/p>\n
The organization also claimed in the statement to be
\n\"representative of Indonesian Moslems\" and expressed support for
\nHabibie's political agenda.<\/p>\n
The President's critics have said his rise to the executive
\noffice was unconstitutional since it was not passed through the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly, as the 1945 Constitution
\nrequires.<\/p>\n
FURKON also firmly rejected calls to set up a transitional
\nauthority to take over power from Habibie.<\/p>\n
Habibie's government has pledged fresh legislative elections
\nfor May next year that will allow a new People's Consultative
\nAssembly to pick a president and vice-president before the end of
\n1999.<\/p>\n
FURKON also echoed recent warnings from the military that
\ncommunists, frequently used as the country's bogeyman during
\nSoeharto's regime, could be stirring up the growing unrest that
\nhas accompanied the country's worst economic crisis in more than
\n30 years.<\/p>\n
The rally was held to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 30,
\n1965 coup attempt by the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party
\n(PKI).<\/p>\n
In its statement, FURKON also rejected allegations that mass
\nrapes occurred during rioting that ravaged Jakarta in May.<\/p>\n
\"That issue very much discredits Indonesian Moslems. There is
\nno factual and authentic evidence yet,\" it said.<\/p>\n
Human rights groups say more than 160 women became victims of
\nrape during the riots, targeted primarily at ethnic Chinese.<\/p>\n
The congregation heard a sermon by popular preacher Zaenuddin
\nM.Z. and ended a three-hour rally with noon prayers.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of them, however, continued the rally at the Senayan
\nparking lot in Central Jakarta as a number of their
\nrepresentatives presented their statement to the nearby House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
Many were seen signing a long white banner in what they said
\nwas a show of support for the rally. The group dispersed to say
\nafternoon prayers after the representatives did not return to the
\nparking lot.<\/p>\n
Separately, in the North Sumatra capital of Medan, 1,000
\npeople rallied outside the local legislature in a display of
\nsupport for the government's campaign to eradicate communism.<\/p>\n
\"Recent demonstrations that have degenerated into looting and
\nriots were infiltrated by PKI members,\" said Amran Y.S., a member
\nof an anticommunist student movement established after the 1965
\ncoup attempt.<\/p>\n
In 1966, Soeharto, using power obtained from founding
\npresident Sukarno, launched a ferocious anticommunist witch-hunt,
\nin which at least 500,000 people are estimated to have been
\nkilled.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta on Wednesday, human rights activists grouped in the
\nAsian Network for Democracy in Indonesia called on the Armed
\nForces (ABRI) to stop its allegations that pro-democracy
\nmovements had been tainted by communism.<\/p>\n
\"The accusation is only a setback of the early struggle for
\ndemocracy here,\" the group said in statement.<\/p>\n
The group also demanded the end of the military's dual
\nfunction, which gives it a socio-political role as well as a
\ndefense mission.<\/p>\n
The network comprises of a number of human rights
\norganizations in Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, Japan and the
\nPhilippines and had just completed a three-day conference on
\nsupporting democracy in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
In the East Timor capital of Dili, a local community leader
\nwarned on Wednesday of the \"latent danger of a revival of
\ncommunism\" in the province.<\/p>\n
Local legislator Armindo Mariono Soares said a communist-style
\nmovement was started in East Timor in the 1970's by three young
\nEast Timorese who had studied in Portugal.<\/p>\n
When communists took over power in Lisbon, he said, the three
\nreturned to East Timor and set up a leftist party. But the
\nparty's activities became more prominent when civil war broke out
\nin the province in 1975, he said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
\"Their behavior in East Timor resembled that of the PKI,\"
\nSoares said. (25\/21\/nur\/byg)<\/p>",
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