Critical retired general welcomes chance for talks
Critical retired general welcomes chance for talks
JAKARTA (JP): Bambang Triantoro, a retired Army general and a
staunch critic of the government, welcomed yesterday the chance
to hold talks with the government for the nation's sake.
Bambang noted an increasing political will on the part of the
government to invite its staunchest critics to official
functions, Antara reported.
The latest invitation was extended to Gen. (ret.) Hoegeng Imam
Santoso, a former National Police chief and member of the Group
of 50. He attended a ceremony yesterday for National Police Day.
"All that is needed now is for the government to hold talks
with its opponents," said Bambang, a member of the Supreme
Advisory Council.
Bambang, who retired as a lieutenant general and once served
as the Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs, only
recently began publicly criticizing the government.
Last year, he and other public figures founded the Yayasan
Kerukunan dan Persaudaraan Kebangsaan foundation, a forum for
public figures who criticized the government. At its
inauguration, the foundation issued a statement of concerns.
The government has called the group a "rainbow coalition",
according to Antara.
Bambang made no reference yesterday to Monday's remarks by the
Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs, Lt. Gen. Syarwan
Hamid, that the government was prepared to talk with its critics
so long as they remained within the system.
Bambang said that talks would allow a convergence of views and
perceptions on national development between the government and
its critics.
In the past, public figures, including former government and
military officials who are critical of the government have been
struck off guest lists for official functions.
In April, the Army organized a reunion for 1951-1961 graduates
of the Army Staff and Command School, including many critical
figures, and a closed-door meeting between them and active
officers.
On June 13, many retired servicemen were invited to the Armed
Forces headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, to receive awards
for helping establish the People's Security Forces in the late
1940s, which was the precursor to the Armed Forces.
Ailing retired general Abdul Haris Nasution, the first Army
chief of staff, who is known for his criticism of the government,
attended the ceremony. Nasution also turned up at last month's
ceremony to transfer the Army chief of staff position from Gen.
R. Hartono to Gen. Wiranto.
"We became vocal because we hold different opinions, and even
the government and President Soeharto have admitted that there
were people with different views and perceptions.
"Differences are normal and should not become divisive,"
Bambang said. "We're not doing this because we want to divide the
nation, but because we too are concerned about national
development."
He said it was "naive" to suggest that those critical of the
government wanted to replace the state ideology Pancasila and the
1945 Constitution.
"There may have been differences in interpreting the ideology
and the constitution. But this is all the more reason why there
should be a dialog," he said.
Admitting that it could be sometime before any meaningful
talks took place, Bambang nevertheless said he hoped some
accommodations could be made for the government's critics at the
People's Consultative Assembly meeting in March.
"That's really the forum for people's sovereignty," he said.
The assembly is scheduled to elect a president and vice
president and draw up guidelines of state policies for the next
five years. (emb)