Marine Corps win over the heart of the people

Marine Corps win over the heart of the people

By Ridwan Max Sijabat

JAKARTA (JP): Many people's respect for the Armed Forces
(ABRI) slumped to its nadir on Friday when troops opened fire on
peaceful student demonstrators, killing more than a dozen people.

The purple-bereted Marine Corps is the conspicous exception in
this loss of public faith. Marines were the only ones that mobs
respected enough to allow them to restore some semblance of order
in the chaotic scenes sweeping Jakarta on Saturday.

Students and residents alike hailed them with shouts of "Long
live the Marines!" as they replaced the much-detested Army troops
and police officers around the Semanggi cloverleaf in South
Jakarta, the scene of the most violent clash.

Students offered marines a share of their cookies, mineral
water and lunch boxes when they took a break from their
demonstrations. They chatted amicably even as marines continued
to keep the students at bay from the House of
Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly building, the
place they had sought to reach all week.

Some people still remember that it was also Marine Corps which
won over the public through its persuasive approach during the
unrest of July 27, 1996, and the mid-May riots this year.

"They appear more human to me compared to other ABRI units,"
one Jakartan said.

Along with more than 80,000 security personnel from other
forces, about 4,100 marines were deployed to handle last week's
student demonstrations against the Special Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly and President B.J. Habibie's
government.

Maj. Gen. Suharto, Marine Corps commander general, told The
Jakarta Post in an interview on Saturday that his 12,000-
personnel did not embark on a deliberate strategy to win people's
hearts.

Instead, the force consistently observes the military doctrine
and territorial approach.

"All marines have been told to be friendly and kind in their
treatment of the students. They are part of the people, who are
unarmed and not enemies..."

He said no members of his corps were involved in the shooting
of students during the worst violence on Friday.

"We complied with the instruction from the police that no
shooting on the spot was allowed. And Marine Corps personnel
fired no bullets during the clashes. I know this precisely
because I was the commander in charge aa the scene."

Witnesses said marines helped students give first aid to
victims of the clash and took them to hospitals.

"This is part of our mission to help restore order and to
restore calm in tense situations," he said. "Students know that
we have different opinions and stance over the Special Session
but they are also aware of our tasks."

Suharto, 53, emphasized that his personnel understood their
role.

"If they are in an enemy's territory, they must use their
guns. But if they are deployed in territorial operations, a
humane and educative approach must be used instead.

"They must not make mistakes. They will be punished for any
errors committed."

Antara quoted Maj. Bambang Hullianto, a marine battalion
commander deployed near the Assembly building, as saying that he
and his men had been ordered not to load their weapons.

"No rubber bullets, no blanks. There's no bullet in our
weapons," he said.

"It's patience," he replied when asked to define the marines'
strategy to quell people's rage. "We are fortunate because the
students helped us to protect some police officers being chased
by the mobs.

"We don't have any problems with students. What's important
for us is that students carry out their activities in an orderly
manner, so all we have to do is maintain security."

Suharto said the Marine Corps, which postponed indefinitely
the formal celebration of its 53rd anniversary on Sunday due to
the chaotic situation in the capital, was tightly bound to the
duel role of the Armed Forces (ABRI) in defense and politics.

"Our main task is to defend the country and maintain stability
and we must be professional in his field... Our role in politics
focuses on territorial operations and civic works aimed at
improving the people's social welfare.

"ABRI, including the Marine Corps, is part of the people and
comes from the people. We are born in the Armed Forces and Navy
for the good of the people."

Suharto disavowed that the Navy's elite force had ambitions to
play a role in the national political arena, stating its main
task was in defense of the state and improving people's welfare.

"We would consider positions in politics only if asked. And we
have never begged for political positions."