Gus Dur back home to fight for democracy, human rights

Gus Dur back home to fight for democracy, human rights

JAKARTA (JP): Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
arrived home on Friday after a medical check-up in the United
States, with a stronger commitment to fight for democracy and
human rights protection following his ouster two weeks ago.

Abdurrahman who arrived along with former first lady Sinta
Nuriyah and their daughter Yenny Zannuba Chafsoh Rachman on
Singapore Airlines flight SQ154 were greeted by scores of
supporters at the VIP lounge of the Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport.

One of his supporters placed a flower garland around his neck
while others, including dozens of Nadhlatul Ulama's security
guards, held banners, reading Selamat datang guru bangsa (Welcome
home the nation's guru) and Selamat datang President RI (Welcome
home the President of Republic of Indonesia).

Among those who greeted the former president and his entourage
were his younger brother Shalahuddin Wahid, caretaker foreign
minister Alwi Shihab, National Awakening Party (PKB) secretary-
general Muhaimin Iskandar and scores of PKB legislators.

Abdurrahman's spokesman Wimar Witoelar said that according to
results of the medical tests conducted by the Johns Hopkins
hospital in Baltimore, the former president was declared in a
good health and, therefore, he was allowed to return home to
resume his activities as usual.

Later at his residence in Ciganjur, South Jakarta, Abdurrahman
said he would help uphold democracy and human rights without
violence and condemnation.

"Let's keep this house peaceful and not make it a place to
condemn any person or any side," he said after Friday prayers at
a mosque near his residence.

He called on his supporters and prodemocracy activists to
remain patient because their struggle for democracy and human
rights protection would take some time.

"The end of our struggle is still far off and we should not
enter fights hastily and emotionally," he said.

The People's Consultative Assembly's Special Session on July
23 revoked Abdurrahman's presidential mandate for alleged
violations of the Constitution and installed his vice president
Megawati Soekarnoputri in his place.

Following the Friday prayers, Abdurrahman met his supporters
who had gathered since Friday morning at the Proclamation
Monument in Central Jakarta to hear his political speech.

Hundreds of people, activists and students applauded while a
group of Chinese Indonesians performed Barongsai (lion dance) to
welcome Abdurrahman's presence in the area.

Abdurrahman said that he was very disappointed with a four-
star general who deceived him saying that a letter had been
delivered, ordering him to leave the presidential palace.

"After I checked, the instruction was a lie," he said.

Shalahuddin said that following Abdurrahman's downfall, he
would have ample time to help create a democratic society outside
the bureaucracy.

"Gus Dur is an influential figure and it may be better for him
to play his role outside the bureaucracy to fight for a
democratic society," he said.

A.M. Fatwa, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives,
applauded Abdurrahman's plan to fight for democracy and human
rights from outside the bureaucracy.

"It's an appropriate step compared with what he did during his
18-month tenure inside the bureaucracy," he said.

Fatwa who once proposed Gus Dur to step down voluntarily long
before the Special Session, regretted that Gus Dur failed to
implement the democracy and respect human rights that he had
fought for, long before he was elected as president in 1999.

"It is regretful that during his tenure, his policies had
frequently been in contradiction to his good ideas on democracy
and human rights before his election," he said. (rms)