City military open to dialog with students: Wiranto

JAKARTA (JP): City Military chief Maj. Gen. Wiranto encouraged college and university students yesterday to continue holding talks with military and government officials to enable them to properly channel their aspirations and demands.

"The City Military Command is open to any talks with students and I'm ready to accompany them to meet the related officials for such dialog," Wiranto said in his lecture on the role of colleges and universities in promoting the national-discipline campaign at the National University in Pejaten, South Jakarta.

He told students that he was unhappy to see his personnel physically clash with students and activists in a demonstration.

The City Military Command plans to set up a permanent forum for students to channel and convey their interests and aspirations, he said. "So instead of staging street demonstrations, the students can raise their proposals and convey their demands and aspirations through the forum."

In many cases university students stage demonstrations to protest what they consider improper government policies. Democratization, openness and human rights top their list of grievances.

Wiranto acknowledged that the issues were global, but he pointed out that "such trends do not exactly suit Indonesian culture".

He also urged the university to forge harmonious relationships with officials and the public. "With such mutual cooperation, the university can become a center of gravity instrumental in keeping the existence of the nation and preserving unity among the people."

The general also urged university students to become pioneers for the implementation of national discipline.

"As good citizens and educated people you can become models for other people and instill a high degree of discipline among them. You (the students) should stand in the forefront of the movement," Wiranto pointed out.

A university has a crucial role as well as moral obligation in serving the interests of people as well as developing the sciences, Wiranto said.

As centers of excellence, he said, universities are the most responsible institutions for producing qualified human resources.

University students should outline a plan to make discipline part of the public's life, Wiranto asserted.

The general has agreed to cooperate with the National University to conduct scientific research on discipline.(29)