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)