Moslem societies hold rallies for New Order

SURABAYA (JP): Two major Moslem organizations held rallies over the weekend in displays of qualified support for the New Order administration.

Some 50,000 members of Muhammadiyah pledged allegiance to the government in a rally here yesterday, but tempered it with the condition that the government remains committed to the fight against corruption and collusion.

"We'll support the New Order government as long as it proves its intention to eliminate corruption and collusion," chairman Amien Rais said of the 28-million member organization.

"If the government fails to eradicate corruption and collusion, then Muhammadiyah can only pray that Allah protect the New Order administration," Amien said during the rally at the 10th of November Sports Stadium.

On Saturday, some 20,000 members of GP Ansor, the youth wing of the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama, held a rally in the town of Kediri, East Java.

The two gatherings were the most recent in a series of rallies held by various politically well-connected organizations following several months of political tension gripping several big cities, including Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.

Many of the earlier rallies were marked not only with support for the government and the Armed Forces, but also condemnation of the Democratic People's Party (PRD), a small youth organization accused by the government of inciting the July 27 riots.

The Muhammadiyah and Ansor rallies made no condemnation.

"There have been too many Islamic organizations condemning many parties, including the PRD. We want a critical view and a critical support for the government," said Choirul Anam, chairman of the East Java branch of Ansor.

"Muhammadiyah will remain critical in its view of all national problems," Amien Rais told reporters after attending the rally. "We'll maintain our stance as an organization whose mission is to encourage people to do good deeds, and discourage them from doing the wrongful."

"We praise the government for its success for the last 30 years, in improving the people's prosperity, strengthening the national political stability, improving the country's image in international fora and strengthening the nation's unity," said the Muhammadiyah members in their statement read out during the rally.

The organization, however, also called on the government to take firm action against corruption and collusion and to the reduce socioeconomic gap among the populace. It also acknowledged in its statement the need to keep vigilance against the danger of communism in the country.

Amien Rais pointed out that the economic and social gaps are bad enough, but compounded with the problem of communism, the situation could become downright alarming.

GP Ansor members declared their rejection of "any violent, arbitrary and unconstitutional actions", but did not make any specific reference to any group.

"We are ready to become the protector of the Nahdlatul Ulama and fellow Indonesians in maintaining national unity," the youth movement said.

Ansor also reminded all parties, especially the government and the Armed Forces, of the importance of "wisdom" in the process of continuing and safeguarding the national development program.

"We remain loyal to the state-ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution," the organization said.

Upon completion of its rally at the Brawijaya Sports Stadium in Kediri, some 10,000 members of Ansor marched for five kilometers to the Lirboyo Islamic boarding school, where NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid was waiting.

Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said he did not attend the rally as a protest against the absence of Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret) Edi Sudradjat, despite the fact he had confirmed three times that he would join the gathering.

Abdurrahman accused the local administration of engaging in "dirty political games" by preventing Edi from coming. (15/imn)