Don't incite hatred, ITB professors say

JAKARTA (JP): The professors of Bandung Institute of Technology called for restraint among community leaders and the government, asking that they refrain from using provocative terms such as "treason" and "mastermind".

The professors issued a statement on Tuesday in Bandung, West Java, calling for the self-restraint needed for a community fast developing into a complicated society striving for democracy.

"Within such a situation, people are highly sensitive," the professors said in the 10-point statement signed by Rector Lilik Hendrajaya and senate secretary Rubini Soeria Atmadja.

"We should all focus our attention on the question of the general election, which must be held as soon as possible," they said.

"Various problems are waiting to be solved before we can conduct a good general election; one that is free from fraud and engineering, is direct, open, confidential, honest and fair in nature," the statement said.

The professors were commenting on the charges of treason brought against a number of opposition figures by President B.J. Habibie's government.

Golkar legislator Sutradara Ginting joined the bandwagon of those condemning Habibie for making the allegations, saying it was reminiscent of politicking under the regime of former autocratic president Soeharto.

Accusing opposition leaders of treason reflects Habibie's deployment of Soeharto's "management of political opponents by fear".

"It's a new version of an old pattern," Ginting said.

"It's dangerous," he also warned.

Habibie addressed the nation on Saturday -- one day after the bloody clashes between students and security personnel on Semanggi Cloverleaf in South Jakarta left at least 15 people dead -- and spoke of "rebellion" against his legitimate government.

On the same day, police picked up for questioning former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin, 71, and freedom fighter Lt. Gen. (ret) A. Kemal Idris, among others. Kemal, 75, is the former chief of the army elite unit, the Army Strategic Reserve Command.

The charge of treason was leveled because the two, and a number of others, signed a joint communique which called for the establishment of a provisional People's Consultative Assembly, and the eventual formation of a presidium which would serve as a provisional government until the elections next year.

Ginting said, "Freedom of the mind simply must not be tried".

Only if the police have found that there were "violations of the law" should they continue with the case, but labeling people now as "treasonous" would be "premature", he said.

In a democratic country, Ginting argued, the government must build "a corridor" for citizens to differ in their opinions.

"Can calling for a federal state be called subversive? Or is calling for the resignation of a government official subversive? Was it subversive when the students called for Soeharto's resignation in May?"

"Freedom of thinking must not be tried... it is different from an armed rebellion," he remarked. (aan)