Confrontation?
Confrontation?
With President Abdurrahman Wahid orally and undauntingly
during a public meeting ordering the head of the police to arrest
the youngest son of former president Soeharto, on suspicion of
complicity in the latest bombing incident, confrontation has
surfaced between the reformist camp and the New Order elements
and sympathizers.
Still, one may question why the police seem hesitant to
execute the order as contrary to the initial presidential charge,
they say there is no substantial evidence to justify an arrest
warrant.
Even the President himself retracted his statement by saying
that the "arrest" should be seen as an investigation and a mere
asking of questions, not the detention of the man.
Later, the mood changed into a spirit of hostile
confrontation. In addition, he now has ordered the disarming of
the Soeharto family's bodyguards. Firm action against them will
be taken in case of noncompliance with the order.
The security authorities themselves seem to have been baffled
by the sudden turn of events. The general public, meanwhile, has
become more confused than before. The big question is whether all
this is leading to a general solution of the many mysteries still
hanging in the air. It looks as if the nation is getting closer
to national confrontation rather than to national and social
reconciliation. Legislators, judges and commentators, including
the media as well as political and religious leaders, looked for
a moment as if they had lost their speech and common sense.
However, there are wise people who argue that President
Abdurrahman rarely says what he actually means or means literally
what he says. His order to arrest Tommy Soeharto and his command
to disarm Soeharto's bodyguards is not serious and only meant
temporarily, and, as such, is insignificant, as in so many
instances in the past.
Indeed, in such cases for a statesman in the top position,
the right course to follow should have been to first consult his
aides and ministers and collect enough material evidence before
leveling accusations in public. What if the charges turn out to
be baseless? Could this also be the result of mounting pressure
following the Atambua tragedy? One can only guess.
GANDHI SUKARDI
Jakarta