General denies rumors of division within ABRI

SURABAYA (JP): A senior army general has dismissed rumors of a division within the Armed Forces as lies spread by irresponsible groups.

Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid told a gathering of officers at the Brawijaya military command headquarters on Tuesday that the parties who created such fabrications were using "divide and conquer" tactics to split the nation.

"Such political deception is being carried out by irresponsible parties," said Syarwan. His statement came in response to rumors that Armed Forces chiefs were at odds over the handling of the July 27 rioting in Jakarta, which erupted after the storming of the disputed headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party.

Syarwan sad these tactics reminded him of the plotting conducted by the now-banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) to divide the army before their abortive coup in 1965.

According to Syarwan, at the time, the PKI was successful in pitting fellow officers of the Armed Forces against one another and also against the people.

As a consequence, he said, people then lost their faith in the Armed Forces.

Syarwan called on everyone to be wary of the tactic and assured his audience that no dissension or division existed within the Armed Forces.

"Maintaining vigilance doesn't mean that people need to keep being suspicious of other people. It means being sensitive, alert, and careful in viewing every evolving social phenomenon," he said.

Despite Syarwan's denials, political observer Ariwibowo believes the very fact that someone of Syarwan's caliber is taking the pains to counter the rumors means the issue is probably being aired within military circles.

"Based on past political tendencies in Indonesia, if there is a formal denial then the issue could very well be true," said Ariwibowo, a political science lecturer at the state Airlangga University here.

According to his analysis, Syarwan's denial reveals an internal disquietude pervading the military's upper echelons.

"Now everybody knows that something is happening within the army...which is unusual in Indonesia, where political life and political movement are usually hidden," he told The Jakarta Post.

Ariwibowo, however, believed that there would be little external impact even if outsiders realized that there was some truth to the rumors.

"People in general are only watchers and listeners, they can't do anything," he said.

He emphasized the gulf between the people and the policy makers, as if they live in two different worlds.

"People are passive participants, very passive. Even the legislative body, our representatives, can't say or do anything. If they could, they should have done or said something about the July 27 incident," he said.

Apart from countering rumors of a rift, Syarwan also stressed the importance of ensuring a successful and peaceful election.

He called on everyone to ensure that the election is carried out according to the regulations and laws.

"If there are many violations in the election then it won't just be the contestants who will object but also the international community, who will be watching us closely," Syarwan said.

He said that one of the indicators of a successful election is when the winner wins with respect while the losers are not disgraced.

Separately, some 2,000 residents of Madura Island on Tuesday evening pledged to make the coming election a success.

At a ceremony attended by Golkar executive Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana and Army Chief Gen. Hartono, the Madurese said they were determined to counter any attempts to resurrect the communist ideology in their community.

Headed by local Moslem businessman Achmad Zaini, they further promised to help Golkar attain electoral victory on the island.

In the past Madura has been a strong base for the Moslem-based United Development Party. (15/27/mds)