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)