Bakin warns public about antigovernment movements

Bakin warns public about antigovernment movements

JAKARTA (JP): State Intelligence Coordinating Board (Bakin)
chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Moetojib warned yesterday that
antigovernment movements would intensify their efforts to disturb
next year's presidential election.

Moetojib hoped the public would not be influenced by those
movements to disturb the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
session, held next March to elect a new president and vice
president and to adopt the new State Policy Guidelines.

"I hope their groups will be not large enough -- it will
depend on the people themselves whether they want to be provoked
or not," Moetojib said after meeting with President Soeharto at
Merdeka Palace yesterday.

Soeharto is widely expected to be renominated for his seventh
consecutive term for the 1998/2003 period, although he has not
clearly expressed his readiness. Growing speculation is more on
who will be the next vice president.

Responding to Golkar's statement Sunday that it had decided to
renominate him for another term, Soeharto said: "I could be
accused of obstructing succession ... I could also be accused of
being a complacent Golkar cadre, being a president for six terms
and now wanting a seventh term."

Soeharto, who turned 76 last June, then asked the nation to
consider their support for his renomination, saying that there
were five months left for the people to make up their mind.

Incumbent Vice President Try Sutrisno, State Minister of
Research and Technology B.J. Habibie and Armed Forces Commander
(ABRI) Gen. Feisal Tanjung have been mentioned as possible
candidates, as well as State Minister of National Development
Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Minister of Information R.
Hartono.

Moetojib said ABRI and Bakin have identified antigovernment
groups, including radical groups, in Central and East Java.

However, he said they would not be arrested unless there was
strong evidence that they violated the law.

Diponegoro Military Commander Maj. Gen. Mardiyanto said in
Yogyakarta Thursday that certain radical groups calling
themselves "pro-democracy movements" were operating in
Yogyakarta, Pekalongan, Surakarta and other cities in Central
Java.

"These groups demand radical changes," he said when briefing
members of the Yogyakarta legislative council during a special
plenary session. Diponegoro Command covers the Central Java
province and Yogyakarta.

"They also use all necessary means, including (exploiting)
scholars and the press to discredit the government," Mardiyanto
remarked.

Three ABRI members will face a tribunal for allegedly
organizing illegal military exercises in the East Java town of
Malang, ABRI spokesman Brig. Gen. A. Wahab Mokodongan said last
month.

They are identified as Lt. Col. Kunandar of the Artillery
Training Center in Cimahi, West Java; Sgt. Maj. Suripto, a
logistics staff member at the Army Strategic Reserves Command's
second division; and First Sgt. Ekpriadi of the Navy
Headquarters' data center.

They were allegedly part of a group of about 100 followers of
Arief Kusno Saputro, who claimed to be the reincarnation of first
president Sukarno. (prb)