ABRI reiterates its neutrality in polls

JAKARTA (JP): Amid continued opposition to the Armed Forces (ABRI) sociopolitical role, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo H.S. made a fresh promise on Wednesday that the military would not meddle in the forthcoming general election.

The general also said ABRI members were free to vote for any parties and would face no sanctions for their political choices.

The general, who once served as a guard of former president Soeharto, said ABRI would not become a mere political tool for the government.

"There will be no bargaining (between political interest groups and ABRI) in the next general election, because ABRI will take a neutral position," the general said in a meeting with ABRI leaders in Jayapura, Irian Jaya.

Meanwhile, in Yogyakarta, dozens of university students held a rally to protest ABRI's role in politics, known as the doctrine of dwifungsi or dual function, which the students said had victimized many people.

"Go to hell with dual function," the students shouted during a free speech forum at Gadjah Mada University on Wednesday afternoon.

During Soeharto's 32-year rule, the families of ABRI personnel were obliged to vote for Golkar. According to the law, active military officers do not have the right to vote.

ABRI is facing mounting pressures to abandon its sociopolitical role and become simply a defense force.

In the past, ABRI leaders gave support to Golkar. Political analysts said that only during the 1992 general election was ABRI relatively neutral, but they said this was because of the strong rivalry at the time between then ABRI chief Gen. Benny Moerdani and Golkar chairman Sudharmono.

"Apart from (making sure that it does not become) a power tool, ABRI (also promises) not to rig the results of the general election for the interest of certain parties," the general said, as quoted by Antara.

Apparently reacting to complaints that many soldiers were involved in human rights abuses in Irian Jaya and other regions, the general vowed to punish any soldiers found to be guilty of such offenses.

"It is not true that errant ABRI soldiers are not punished," he said.

During the meeting, attended by local tribe leaders, Subagyo also said Irian Jaya would remain a part of Indonesia because it has a different historical background from East Timor.

"It would be impossible for Irian Jaya to be separated from Indonesia," he asserted.

Irian Jaya officially joined Indonesia in the early 1960s with the full support of the United Nations. East Timor was integrated to Indonesia in 1976, but the UN has never recognized the move. (23/44/prb)