Gus Dur claims new attempts to topple government

Gus Dur claims new attempts to topple government

HAVANA, Cuba (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid renewed his
allegations on Wednesday (Thursday in Jakarta) that several
parties have been waging a campaign to topple his government in
the run up to the People's Consultative Assembly session in
August.

If his past accusations of a plot were leveled at unnamed
individuals in the military, this time the president made no
reference to any individual or institution.

But Gus Dur, as the President is popularly called, cited the
call by a Muslim organization in Jakarta for a holy war in
strife-torn Maluku as part of a plot to incite riots and
destabilize the country.

"Everybody knows that the jihad calls are related to those
attempts," he said, adding that the movement was well-financed.

"Insya Allah (God Willing) security personnel will be able to
handle those problems," Abdurrahman said at a meeting with the
Indonesian community in Cuba.

The President, who is in Havana for a summit of developing
countries from April 12 to 14, has made similar accusations of a
plot against him in the past.

He said that before leaving Indonesia on Saturday, he had
asked National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo to monitor the
activities of the "jihad kids."

The call for jihad in Maluku was made by Ahlus Sunnah Wal
Jama'ah whose sword-wielding members staged demonstrations
outside the presidential palace and the House of Representatives
over the past week.

The group, which has been running a training program for about
3,000 volunteers in Bogor near Jakarta, has accused President
Abdurrahman of failing to protect Muslims in the Maluku conflict
which has claimed more than 2,000 lives since January 1999.

"As long as they only talk and move inside their training
ground, it will be tolerated. But if they make a move outside,
they will be arrested."

"We guarantee their freedom of expression, but if they try to
impose their will on others, they will have to face us," he said,
adding that the government would be firm against troublemakers.

"The World Bank and big countries like the United States,
Japan and South Korea have pledged to give us funds for more
security personnel and equipment," he said.

Abdurrahman said he was optimistic that the security situation
in Indonesia was moving toward normalization. "The fact that I
can make foreign trips means that the situation is safe."

The Indonesian Military, including all regional military
commanders, and the police, were fully behind him, he said.

Cuba is the third leg of the President's overseas tour after
visits in South Africa and Mexico. On Friday he will proceed to
Hong Kong with a brief stopover in Tokyo to visit the ailing
former prime minister Keizo Obuchi and to meet with his successor
Yoshiro Mori.

Gus Dur disclosed that he had removed the United States from
the current itinerary because Washington objected to his visit
immediately after attending the Havana conference.

"I told (foreign minister) Pak Alwi Shihab then that we are
not an American proxy and that we are free to go anywhere," he
said. (byg)