Intelligence body yet to catch source of rumors

JAKARTA (JP); The State Intelligence Coordinating Body (Bakin) admitted that it was having difficulty tracking the source of rumors which it claims were responsible for the recent plunge of Indonesia's financial markets.

Bakin's deputy chief, Nurhadi Purwosaputro, said his office was conducting an investigation over the rumors, which he said were aimed to weaken the Indonesian economy.

"It is difficult to find the source of those rumors," he said here Saturday. "But one thing for sure is that the rumors were premeditated."

Nurhadi made the statement in response to the weakening rupiah against the U.S. dollar.

The rupiah had fallen following rumors of President Soeharto's ailing health Thursday and Friday. Earlier, foreign reports had even speculated that Soeharto was on his deathbed.

None of the rumors have proven to be true.

Nurhadi said people should not worry about the ongoing monetary crisis, maintaining that the crisis had also hit other countries with stronger economies.

"Perhaps, it's an era of monetary crises," he said.

He urged the nation to be financially introspective and take the necessary action to rescue the state's economy.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization, Abdurrahman Wahid, suggested the government take immediate action to stem the monetary crisis.

"The government should strive to bring back as many dollars as possible to the country," Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said.

Separately, deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, Marzuki Darusman, called on the government to take serious, and not cosmetic, steps to tackle the crisis.

"It has become a habit here that whenever there is a state problem it is usually not fundamentally settled," he said. "No wonder we sometimes encounter similar problems in the future."

The Armed Forces vowed last week to track down those who circulated rumors which it said had threatened the country's economy and political stability.

House Speaker Harmoko also said last week that Indonesians are prone to rumors.

Political observers have often pointed out that one of the reasons why people believed rumors was because of the poor channel available for them to convey their aspiration and critical assessment of situation. (imn)