Yogie blasts HMI for rejecting official<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. lashed
\nout yesterday at the Association of Islamic Students (HMI) for
\nrejecting a speech by a senior ministry official in the recent
\nopening of their congress.<\/p>\n
"It's really deplorable that members of such an influential
\norganization behaved in such a manner," Yogie was quoted by
\nspokesman H.S.A. Yusacc as saying yesterday.<\/p>\n
Yogie was referring to HMI members who not only refused to
\nhear the ministry's secretary-general Suryatna Subrata deliver
\nthe minister's speech, but also jeered at him. The students had
\nwanted Yogie himself at the event on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Yusacc said the incident should not have happened as the
\ncongress organizing committee knew the minister could not attend.<\/p>\n
"Pak Yogie told State Minister of Public Housing Akbar
\nTanjung, as one of HMI's patrons, and the congress organizers
\nthat he could not address the congress because he already had an
\nappointment that same day," he said.<\/p>\n
About 1,000 participants of the congress yelled and booed
\nSuryatna as he was about to deliver Yogie's speech. Suryatna then
\ncanceled the speech and gave the text to HMI executives, saying
\nit dealt with the organization's internal affairs and should be
\nused as input during the members' deliberation.<\/p>\n
Suryatna then addressed the congress off the cuff.<\/p>\n
He told the students to come up with solution-oriented
\nrecommendations and submit them to the government as a
\ncontribution to solve the country's social problems.<\/p>\n
He also told participants to avoid violence, especially during
\ntheir leadership election. "You should not repeat past incidents
\nwhen you threw chairs at each other," he said, referring to
\nearlier congresses when the students became engaged in brawls
\nover who should lead the organization.<\/p>\n
The congress is to conclude next Monday and is scheduled to
\nadopt programs for the next two years and elect new leaders.<\/p>\n
Upon hearing Suryatna, the participants again yelled noisily
\nwith some demanding openly that the official stop speaking.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman then
\nopened the congress.<\/p>\n
Yusacc said the home affairs ministry would not discuss the
\nincident, but would leave it to the HMI central board to deal
\nwith its members.<\/p>\n
"They should hold introspection," Yusacc said. "It's not
\nnecessary for the ministry to reprimand the organization."<\/p>\n
The opening ceremony was held at the Yogyakarta Palace
\ncomplex, but the congress is being held at the Bimo Building,
\nKotabaru subdistrict. The building belongs to Army Deputy Chief
\nof Staff Lt. Gen. Subagyo H.S. (imn)<\/p>",
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