ABRI urged to act against lawlessness

JAKARTA (JP): The military has been urged to take immediate action to curb looting, robbery and other forms of lawlessness which have increased fears of a further decrease in investors' interest in the country.

The monthly ministerial meeting on political affairs and security, led by Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung, recommended swift action be taken by the Armed Forces to prevent further looting and robbery, including the armed robbery of container trucks.

"Looting and robbery could decrease foreign investors' confidence in investing their money here," the meeting concluded in a statement as read out by secretary to Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security R. Karyono.

"With the support of the people, all parties, especially security officials and businesspeople, (ABRI) is expected to take preventive measures against such lawlessness," it said.

Also yesterday, Minister of Defense/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto called on the Indonesian media not to blow up the issue, and asserted that his men were ready to tackle incidents of looting and robbery.

"Looting and robbery have happened, but they are not a trend here," Wiranto told reporters after the meeting.

"We cannot tolerate such unlawfulness. ABRI will take action to provide safety to the people and their belongings and to 'neutralize' the lootings and robberies," he said.

Some 500 people reportedly looted a cooking oil stand at a fair organized by the country's cooperatives over the weekend. However, Minister of Cooperatives Adi Sasono said the "cooking oil was just given by the cooperatives to the people crowding at the kiosk when it was raining".

Incidents of looting were also reported last week at shrimp farms, coffee plantations and food warehouses in East Java. Reports also said hundreds of people in Bogor, West Java, took over some parts of a cattle ranch owned by former president Soeharto.

Local villagers say they rightfully own the land that was developed into a ranch by Soeharto in 1972.

Some analysts have linked the offenses to the skyrocketing prices of goods and unemployment as Indonesia struggles with its worst economic crisis in three decades, which heralded the resignation of Soeharto after 32 years of strong-arm rule.

Yesterday in Yogyakarta, sociologist Loekman Soetrisno said the spate of lootings were an expression of people's long pent-up frustration. "They have been frustrated all this time ... People are in serious difficulties because of the economic crisis, so as soon as an opportunity rises, they grab whatever they can take," he said.

"No matter what, looting is a radical action that can never be condoned and has to be stopped as it violates the law and order," he said. "We must not let the situation drag on and cause legal uncertainty."

He called on security officials, however, to take a persuasive approach rather than come down strong on people involved in looting and robbery. "Go to the people and talk with them. Don't use repressive measures, especially involving weapons," said Loekman, who is a professor at Gadjah Mada University.

He also called for efforts to strengthen social solidarity. "Those who have more should help those with less. The bazaars for basic commodities may seem trivial, but they have deep meaning ... a display of solidarity and a statement that we are in this together." (23/swe/imn)