Govt warned over fears on openness

Govt warned over fears on openness

JAKARTA (JP): Speaker of the House of Representatives Wahono
warned yesterday that the government's excessive fear of
increasing political openness might heighten tension among
authorities in the field which, in turn, could trigger
unjustified violence.

Repressive judicial action, appeals and condemnations would
not resolve the mounting social unrest, he said after swearing in
10 new members of the House and the People's Consultative
Assembly.

"There should be open forums and dialogs where people can
release their frustration in an orderly and civilized manner,"
Wahono said.

Wahono, a former Army lieutenant general and a one-time chief
of the ruling Golkar party, pointed out that the heightening
social unrest has been fueled by the absence of such forums.

He admitted that the House is unable to channel the public's
desires satisfactorily at a time when many people's political
awareness is improving thanks to the rapid development that
Indonesia has achieved.

If the House at the national level and the legislative
councils in the regencies and provinces fail to improve their
function, social disturbances would escalate, he warned.

"Social upheaval will set the clock backward. The ideal for
democracy will never become reality because the security approach
will prevail again," he said.

Wahono did not give concrete cases to illustrate his ideas.

Over the past month, Indonesia has seen a number of major
outbursts that observers attribute to the lack of democracy and
the government's insistence on suppressing political dissidents.

Last week, staunch government critic and democracy campaigner
Sri Bintang Pamungkas launched a new party -- a move that sparked
wrath from both the government and military officials.

Last month, the military in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, came
under attack after its forcible dispersal of massive student
demonstrations led to the deaths of three protesters.

Indonesia is also facing increasing numbers of land and labor
dispute cases at a time when the government is a constant target
of human rights abuse allegations.

Wahono criticized the government for holding back information
on state officials that the public know have a "low integrity."

"It's useless to suppress people's political wishes by feeding
them with false information," he said.

The House speaker suggested that the government heed the
people's wishes because the public's demands for democracy are
increasing in line with Indonesia's economic development success.

He said he believes the spirit of democracy will be able to
crush the spirits of sectarianism and feudalism that some groups
are trying to promote.

Wahono said that no one should interpret the 1945 Constitution
rigidly simply to justify their political maneuvers.

"We all know that our constitution is dynamic and wide open to
accommodate contemporary demands," he noted.

The five House members that Wahono installed were Bakir Alie,
Siti Ainomi Rudy Lengkong, Fachruddin Razi, Aisyah Radjeng
Pananrang (all from the Golkar faction) and Albertus Pranowo (a
member of the Armed Forces faction).

The five People's Consultative Assembly members are
Col. Muchdi Purwo Pranyono, Col. Nyoman Suwisma, Maj. Gen. EE
Mangindaan, Darwis Rida Zainuddin and Let. Gen. FX Sudjasmin.

The new legislators replaced either those who have died or
been transferred to other posts by their respective
organizations. (pan)