ABRI warned of bloody fights over MPR session

JAKARTA (JP): As the Armed Forces (ABRI) further tightens its security cordon around the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) complex, more and more people are raising fears about possible bloody clashes between opponents and supporters of the MPR Special Session.

The concern is prompted by the deployment of 30,000 troops and police and about 150,000 voluntary civilian guards, including the politically uninitiated from outside Jakarta, to secure the session.

"Starting on Monday, anyone entering the MPR building and its compound will have to produce the pass cards issued by the organizing committee of the session," Police spokesman Brig.Gen Togar M. Sianipar told reporters on Sunday.

About 160 university rectors from across the country who held a meeting in Bandung, West Java, Saturday, urged ABRI to protect students who, as a moral force, are fighting for the people's aspirations.

"We stand united to defend our students in their fight for reform," the rectors said in a statement they called the Bandung Declaration.

H.S. Dillon, a leader of the Forum for the Fostering of National Unity (Bakom PKB), on Sunday urged ABRI Commander General Wiranto to prevent a situation that would pit brother against brother.

"Please, General Wiranto, do not pit brother against brother," appealed Dillon in a letter to The Jakarta Post in connection with the deployment of the civilians to face demonstrators who oppose the MPR session.

Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubwono X warned over the weekend against deploying civilians to secure the session as it could fuel unnecessary conflicts.

"If clashes take place, the leaders must bear the blame," the sultan warned.

The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association lambasted ABRI on Sunday for taking such excessive security measures around the MPR building to maintain the incumbent political regime.

"This once again testifies how politically and technically incompetent is the present administration in fairly managing the people's aspirations," the association said in a statement signed by chairman Hendardi.

Political scientist Daniel Sparinga condemned ABRI for allowing civilians to help secure the session as this would only pit civilians against civilians.

"Why must ABRI go overboard against demonstrations protesting the MPR session," Sparinga said in Semarang on Sunday.

Dillon warned that the civilian guards had not been trained long enough to be able to control demonstrations without resorting to violence.

"Confronting students who are fighting for a cleaner, honest, more equitable Indonesia with these groups (civilian guards) is tantamount to pitting brother against brother," Dillon cautioned.

Dillon appealed to Gen. Wiranto to allow students to present their demands to the legislators. Likewise, if others march against these students let them too present their support for the incumbents, he said.

"But please keep these two opposing groups apart. These students are our children, our future. However, if let blood flow tomorrow, if you turn away and let brother kill brother, history will never forgive you, Pak Wiranto," Dillon added in his appeal.

In Yogyakarta, Faisal Basri, secretary-general of the National Mandate Party, warned on Sunday that if supporters and opponents of the MPR session clashed it would be ABRI that would reap the biggest benefit.

"Why, because if chaos takes place, ABRI would declare martial law and take over power without an election. Then we will find ourselves in jail," Faisal said.

He added ABRI was currently striving to maintain the powerful sociopolitical role it had during the Soeharto regime.

Faisal recalled how the MPR had been tricked to include the appointment of ABRI representatives in the House in one of its draft decrees to be adopted at the upcoming session.

People, he added, should fight against ABRI's dual function but without creating a chaotic situation which would only further strengthen the military's position.

"People also should stand vigilant against those opposed to an election because they know they will surely lose in an open, fair and honest election," Faisal said.

The Islamic Youth Movement, which groups 12 Islamic youth organizations, also warned on Sunday of attempts to play one group against another.

"We should strive to guarantee that the MPR session will not serve only as a forum to give legitimacy to the present administration," said Idrus Marham, a spokesman for the movement.

"But we should avoid physical clashes in the run-up to the MPR Special Session," Marham added. (swa/har/vin)