ABRI ready for dialog with students: Yudhoyono

ABRI ready for dialog with students: Yudhoyono

JAKARTA (JP): The powerful Armed Forces (ABRI) reiterated yesterday its commitment to developing open dialog with students who have been exerting pressure on the government to resolve the economic crisis.

A similar open attitude will be shown to other government critics, according to Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Assistant to the Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs.

"ABRI is ready to sit down at the same table with students and other government critics," Susilo told reporters after a ceremony marking the transfer of duties from the outgoing Minister of Defense Gen. (ret) Edi Sudradjat to Gen. Wiranto.

ABRI, he said, was now working on a plan to hold dialog with students and other government critics. The dialog, he said, would be conducted at national and provincial levels.

"Regional and lower military commands should not wait for further instruction from ABRI headquarters. They can hold discussions without waiting for our permission," he said.

Susilo promised the open stance would be maintained and the dialogues continued on an intermittent basis, and follow up actions would be taken.

Susilo, who will replace Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah as the Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Friday, said the dialogues should be based on good intentions from both sides and should not be used as a forum to attack each other's stance.

"The dialogues should discuss efforts to help the government and the people settle the monetary crisis," he said. He said neither party should bring with them preconditions, as they could hamper rather than facilitate dialogues.

Gen. Wiranto said last week that he was opening the door to dialog with students and government critics, including Megawati Soekarnoputri, the ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization, and Amien Rais, chairman of the Muhammadiyah Moslem organization.

He agreed that dialog and discussion should be an integral part of efforts to settle the crisis, which he said must be the top priority for the new administration.

Susilo said that Wiranto did not mean that "anybody can ask to hold discussions at any time, because the Armed Forces commander is bound by military protocol and a tight schedule."

Meanwhile, outgoing defense minister Edi Sudradjat said it would be good if the students and the people shared their thoughts and opinions on the monetary crisis and the soaring price of basic commodities.

"It shows that they are still concerned with the nation," he said, adding that the government and the legislative bodies should not ignore student aspirations.

"The legislative bodies should listen to the students, and the government should respond to their demands," he said. (imn)