Wiranto promises new ABRI style<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) celebrates its 53rd
\nanniversary on Monday by taking a hard look at its image,
\npledging solutions to some rights violations, and pleading
\nagainst being seen as \"cruel murderers and destroyers\" who
\ninflicted suffering on people.<\/p>\n
Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto said in a media briefing
\non Sunday that \"history has placed ABRI at a strategic turning
\npoint... ABRI is aware that it should do some introspection, to
\nobtain an image of what is its best function and role.\"<\/p>\n
Wiranto conceded ABRI now believed that its \"security
\napproach\" was no longer relevant, and that it should now have a
\nnew paradigm as a part of the national system.<\/p>\n
ABRI has come under increasing public criticism this year
\nfollowing the disappearance of dozens of activists, its handling
\nof the violent mass rioting in May and the shooting of students
\nduring a peaceful protest that precipitated the unrest. Wiranto
\nspoke about all three subjects in his briefing.<\/p>\n
He started with a delineation of the military's effort to
\nundertake changes including \"redefining, repositioning and
\nrenewing\" its role in the nation's life.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said the military was not closing its eyes to
\nsoldiers' past \"violations of discipline and actions that have
\nexceeded acceptable levels.\"<\/p>\n
But, he added, \"It is unfair and really disproportionate if
\nactions by security personnel which were at the time legal... are
\nnow attacked and labeled as wrong in the current era of reform.\"<\/p>\n
In his address, which Antara said he called a political
\nstatement, Wiranto said ABRI had decided to separate the police
\nfrom the military. However, a decision had yet to be made whether
\nthe police will be under the auspices of the defense ministry or
\nthe home ministry.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI has decided to reposition or separate the National
\nPolice from ABRI,\" said Wiranto, who is also minister of defense
\nand security.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI has set up a gradual agenda to reposition the National
\nPolice. Starting in April of 1999, the training and operation of
\nthe national police will be apart from ABRI and placed under, or
\nmore precisely returned to, the defense ministry,\" Wiranto said.<\/p>\n
However, he said a decision had yet to be made on which
\ngovernment department the 177,000-strong police force would
\nultimately be directly responsible to.<\/p>\n
Rapes<\/p>\n
Wiranto reiterated ABRI had so far failed to find proof of
\nmass rapes of ethnic-Chinese women that many people alleged took
\nplace during the May riots here.<\/p>\n
\"The government and ABRI have made various efforts to find the
\nvictims of the rapes reported to have taken place during the May
\n13 to May 15 unrest,\" Wiranto said.<\/p>\n
\"These efforts have not yielded results. ABRI has also not
\nobtained concrete and convincing replies, data or proof from
\nparties that have claimed to possess important information,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Wiranto made a similar statement in September, much to the
\nconsternation of human rights groups.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said the police checked 20 hospitals in Jakarta and
\nseveral others in Singapore and Perth, Australia, where rape
\nvictims were reported to have sought treatment following their
\nordeals but found no evidence to confirm the reports.<\/p>\n
Wiranto also called on the nation to ponder whether it was
\ntrue that during its years of service, ABRI had only shown itself
\nas cruel murderers and destroyers.<\/p>\n
\"No bragging intended, history has recorded that ABRI has
\nfought with the nation... we can't estimate how many thousands of
\nABRI's best children... sacrificed their lives for the truth and
\nthe nation?\"<\/p>\n
\"Will those sacrifices be forgotten just like that for the
\nsake of certain groups' political interests?\" he said, without
\nmentioning any names.<\/p>\n
He further asked the people to ponder the lives of many
\nservice personnel who became crippled, mothers who lost children,
\nwives who lost husbands and children who lost fathers in their
\ncommitment to duties.<\/p>\n
\"Do they ever protest and take revenge against the nation or
\nare they wrong to feel it is enough to receive service medals,
\nwhich are put on the walls to replace of their dead parents,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Later in the day, Wiranto spoke to all ABRI members in a
\ntelevised diurnal command calling on them not to allow \"a
\ndeconstruction of the nation\" to take place.<\/p>\n
\"Don't just sit back and let deconstruction occur and destroy
\nthe whole order and structure of the nation,\" he said. \"No tasks
\nare too heavy in our effort to handle the crisis, to walk
\ntogether in this reform movement...\" (swe)<\/p>",
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