Critics invited to join reconciliation team

Critics invited to join reconciliation team

JAKARTA (JP): The government will soon launch the National
Reconciliation Team and invite outspoken critics, including
opposition leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, to join, according to
Minister of Justice Muladi.

Muladi told the media here on Wednesday that the membership of
the team would include government officials, human rights
activists and members of various non-governmental organizations.

Muladi said he was still consulting with fellow ministers and
the National Commission on Human Rights, which proposed the
team's establishment in June, on the team's strategies and
objectives.

"The team will be divided into small groups in line with the
problems to be handled, such as problems in the economy, politics
and social and cultural problems," Muladi said before attending a
weekly cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha presidential office.

President B.J. Habibie gave his nod earlier this month to the
creation of the team to spearhead the campaign to anticipate
rising threats of disintegration and separatism.

Muladi has said the team is expected to unite various elements
in society, encourage people to turn bad experiences into bitter
but valuable lessons for a better future, and bridge gaps between
parties in the community.

The President appointed Muladi as a liaison official between
the government and other parties in the team's establishment and
creation.

The government will be represented by Coordinating Minister
for Political Affairs and Security Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung,
Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen.
Wiranto, and Muladi.

Prominent political activists, including National Mandate
Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais, and Habibie's economic advisor
Frans Seda have said that rather than establishing such a team,
Habibie should handle more urgent problems like food shortages.

Frans, a former minister of finance, said the team would be
useless if it was meant merely to tame opposition leaders.

"In such a situation the term reconciliation is going a little
bit too far," he said recently.

Amien Rais said he supported the establishment of the
reconciliation team but added that it should take immediate and
concrete actions to solve the problems of food scarcities and
skyrocketing prices. (prb)