Demonstrators warned of infiltrators: Mahfud

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense Mahfud MD warned that infiltrators could penetrate both government supporters and opponents, who recently showed their muscle at the House of Representatives (DPR) compound.

Deploying masses to support or protest a certain figure was not breaking the law, "but any party needs to be extra careful as such huge demonstrations are vulnerable to infiltrators, who instigate riots," he said.

Speaking to reporters at the Antara news agency office here on Saturday night, Mahfud said the infiltrators were very well organized.

"If two rival groups of protester are facing each other, the infiltrators will slip into the two groups to create a chaotic atmosphere."

"These are not just baseless statements," he said, citing detailed and accurate information from intelligence sources.

"From Diponegoro Military Command reports, we have detailed and accurate information from Central Java about a plan for a huge demonstration in Jakarta on Jan. 15. The reports clearly mention who the coordinators (of the demonstration) were, how much the fund was and who the activists were," he explained.

"The people mentioned in such a secret document would have been arrested by the New Order regime. But now, our government is aware that demonstrations are legal."

On the grounds that it was part of the process of democracy, the government basically had no right to ban any demonstration, as long as the demonstration did not turn violent and anarchic.

No mass rally eventuated on Jan. 15, and on Jan. 19, police officers guarding the DPR compound had to separate two rival groups, supporters and opponents of President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Mahfud reiterated that all the government could do was warn the people and prevent any chaotic situation from happening.

"Unfortunately, many say that the government wants to create unrest among the people with this warning. We just want to alert the people. That's all."

Asked about the President-House feud, which has been causing uneasiness among the people, Mahfud said the situation could not be avoided as the democratic life was commencing in the country.

"Everything is in the people's hands. The people must be mature in dealing with anything happening around them and the press should enhance a conducive situation." (44)