ABRI calls on religious leaders for support

SURAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) called on religious leaders yesterday to help strengthen ABRI's relations with the people.

Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, head of the Armed Forces Socio- political affairs department, said that good relations between the military and the people is vital for the nation's unity.

"No religion in the world encourages anything that leads to disintegration," he warned in his address at the 7th Parisada Hindu Dharma congress here yesterday.

Syarwan told the congress that in the lead-up to the 1997 election, certain groups will be out to discredit the Armed Forces and set it against the people for their own political ends.

He predicted this behavior will escalate as the general election draws near, because certain groups will do everything to win the public's support.

Syarwan said the most glaring attempt to discredit the Armed Forces is exploiting and exaggerating the mistakes that military personnel make.

"They want to portray ABRI as a group that serves its own interests. They want the Armed Forces to lose the people's trust," he said.

The Indonesian Armed Forces is part of the political system thanks to its doctrine of Dwifungsi (dual function), which allows it to dominate the political scene.

A tactic the Army has used to win public sympathy is going on "civic missions" in which soldiers build public facilities in the villages.

"ABRI has put its everything at stake to become one with the people," he told about 1,000 Hindu leaders.

He said the military sees a growing tendency towards using religion for political ends or simply to mobilize solidarity. (har/pan)