Habibie follows through on nine-point promise to Aceh

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie summoned 15 ministers on Monday to follow up on his nine-point promise made to people in Aceh during his one-day trip to the province last week, including legal action against those involved in rights abuses there.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Haryono Suyono said the President had ordered the ministers to speed up the construction of more irrigation facilities, agricultural development, the reopening of a railway and scholarships to children made orphans during the military operations of 1989 to 1998.

"It is not only a promise," said Haryono in a news conference with Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi Sasono.

Adi said the President also ordered the trial of anyone, including military members and civilians, guilty of rights abuses in Aceh as pledged during his Friday visit to Banda Aceh.

When asked about Acehnese demands for a referendum, Adi said the central government should also consider the interests of other provinces and not just Aceh.

On Monday in Banda Aceh, Governor Syamsuddin Mahmud said the President's conveyed promises were "historic" as it was the first time a president had conveyed such plans to the Acehnese.

Among critical attendees at the meeting were those who warned the government against making empty promises.

The governor said on Friday at a meeting between Habibie and the public that the people's perceived slowness of the government in following up on its apology for impacts of the military operations had led to demands of a referendum on Aceh's future.

Last year, Armed Forces Commander/Minister of Defense and Security Gen. Wiranto apologized after lifting the province's military operations status.

Habibie's visit was earlier praised by Aceh community leaders in Jakarta, although concern was raised over the several people injured in clashes on Friday between demonstrators and security personnel.

Students have lashed out at the government over the clashes.

Students of the Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung said in a statement that the clash "shows that the government is not willing to tolerate differences of opinion by the way it drives (dissidents) away using its political tool, the Armed Forces".

A statement signed by the university's Student Committee said of Friday's incident, "it reinforces our commitment that Indonesian students should continue the struggle for total change... toward democracy, which has now been betrayed by the Habibie regime". (prb/anr)