Amien says he has ABRI approval for his criticism
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs, Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, reportedly told government critic Amien Rais yesterday to continue voicing his criticism for the good of the nation.
Yudhoyono invited Amien, chairman of the 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah Moslem organization, to a meeting at the Sheraton Mustika Hotel. Yudhoyono was accompanied by the chief of the Armed Forces Intelligence Agency, Maj. Gen. Zaky Anwar Makarim, chief of the Diponegoro Regional Military Command Maj. Gen. Mardiyanto, who oversees Central Java and Yogyakarta, and chief of the Pamungkas military district, Col. Djoko Santoso.
Amien was accompanied by Ahmad Syafii Maarif, his deputy in Muhammadiyah. The meeting, lasting an hour and a half, was held behind closed doors.
Later at Muhammadiyah headquarters, Amien told media the meeting was a reunion and intended to strengthen silaturahim -- an Islamic expression usually used to describe the bond between Moslem brethren.
"Then, we exchanged analysis on the latest situation in Indonesia," said Amien, who is also a lecturer at Gadjah Mada University's School of Social and Political Sciences here.
Syafii added: "It was a meeting of the brains and the hearts."
Amien said Yudhoyono and the other leaders of the Armed Forces (ABRI) held similar opinions with intellectuals about measures needed to cope with the economic crisis.
"Because of this common perception, ABRI will not prevent the intellectuals from being critical," Amien quoted Yudhoyono as saying. "He (Yudhoyono) even told Amien Rais not to stop his critical remarks."
Amien said he was confident the meeting, although apparently hastily arranged, was not meant to "entrap" him. He did not elaborate, but added that the meeting had proceeded intensely.
"There's no such thing as setting up traps. The chief even said he would follow up (the meeting) with bigger gatherings for dialog, and with a better format," Amien said.
"I see that there's a strong will on the part of ABRI to listen to the people and heed their aspirations. This is why (ABRI asks) intellectuals to keep on being critical, making corrections for the good of the nation," Amien said.
Earlier this week, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo praised Amien for mature and wise criticism of the government.
Subagyo promised in Jakarta that ABRI would accommodate Amien's views because they were always presented through constitutional channels and in a constructive spirit.
A similarly positive appraisal of Amien was given by the new commander of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto.
Amien was among the first political observers to make strong calls for presidential succession to facilitate democratization. He expressed his own readiness to be elected president.
A self-avowed realist, Amien subsequently said the nation should give President Soeharto and his new cabinet six months to see whether they could solve the economic crisis. He also offered to lead a people's power movement to introduce changes should the new administration fail.
Yesterday, Amien also quoted Yudhoyono as predicting that the economic crisis would continue for another six to seven months.
"We both agreed that we should overcome the crisis, which has caused many people suffering, only in good ways," Amien said. "Confrontations should be avoided because they can boomerang." (23/swe)