Feisal warns of groups exploiting economic crisis

Feisal warns of groups exploiting economic crisis

BOGOR, West Java (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal
Tanjung has again pinned the blame for recent riots and
demonstrations for total reform, on "certain groups" seeking to
subvert the government.

Feisal said the political moves were exploiting the economic
crisis to undermine the government's credibility, demoralize the
elite and use the momentum to force a change of national
leadership.

"Crying foul over price hikes, they spark anarchy and behave
brutally. Does it indicate a conspiracy to boost a political
movement?" Feisal said in a speech delivered by ABRI Chief of
Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah.

Feisal was briefing leaders of the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) who convened here to select their presidential and vice
presidential candidates.

Feisal did not identify the plotters, but was sure they were
an alliance between people bent on subversion and those who were
antiestablishment.

Rising prices of basic commodities have triggered sporadic
riots in a number of towns in Central Java, East Java, South
Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara and Irian Jaya.
In the disturbances mobs attacked and looted shops and
supermarkets.

Rallies have become a common sight in Jakarta in the past
month with protesters' demands ranging from price cuts to a new
president.

Feisal said the groups incited such violent activities because
they realized it was impossible for them to undertake total
reform through constitutional means.

He said the Armed Forces agreed that political and economic
reform was a must, but it should proceed step by step.

"Reform does not have to mean an overhaul of the system, but
an improvement. The changes should not break away from the
national consensus to preserve the state ideology Pancasila,
sustain development programs and maintain national stability,"
said Feisal.

Snowballing

Earlier in the same gathering, Minister of Home Affairs Moch.
Yogie S.M. issued the same warning that the mounting radicalism
was orchestrated by certain interest groups taking advantage of
the economic crisis to erode public confidence in the government.

"They always try to spark social unrest to test the security
authorities and law enforcement bodies. It may be a snowballing
movement that can pose a threat to the general session of the
People's Consultative Assembly," Yogie said in his speech read by
the secretary-general of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Suryatna
Subrata.

"They never think of the huge number of people who become
victims. Instead, they pin the blame for any casualties on other
groups," said Yogie.

The General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly,
scheduled for March 1 through March 11, will endorse the state
policy guidelines for the next five years and elect a president
and vice president.

Yogie said the groups had formed illegal solidarity
organizations to provoke people to take to the streets and commit
crimes. He said the disorder served as a conditioning step before
they launched a bigger move.

He said the groups received support from a small number of the
elite who sympathized with them, and used mass media outlets as
their means to carry out their political maneuvers.

However, Yogie failed to unveil which media had been exploited
by the unnamed groups. (amd)