No objections to more intellectual groups, ABRI says

No objections to more intellectual groups, ABRI says

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) said yesterday it has no
objection to the creation of new intellectual organizations as
long as they fall in line with national objectives.

"Intellectuals, like other professionals, have the right to
organize and they are free to establish new groups," ABRI's chief
spokesman, Brig. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, told reporters yesterday.

Syarwan said any new organization should refrain from sowing
divisive seeds. "As long as they remain within the political
corridors outlined by the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945
Constitution, then that's all right."

He said that while ABRI fully supported the call by Minister
of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat for the various
intellectual organizations which are based on religious lines to
merge into one group, he foresaw difficulties in implementing
this because of their different backgrounds.

"Milk and rendang are both tasty, but combined, they won't
taste as good," he said, referring to the popular traditional
West Sumatran beef dish.

Syarwan's remarks add to the present polemic on the existence
of organizations grouping intellectuals.

A number of intellectuals and government officials are
considering establishing one such organization which does not
represent any particular religion.

Many said the plan was intended to counter the Association of
Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), which has been growing from strength
to strength recently. Its critics say the group has become
politicized under its chairman, B.J. Habibie, who is also state
minister of research and technology.

The critics also say that ICMI's politicking is sowing the
seeds of sectarian politics which could endanger the unity of the
nation.

Intellectuals of other faiths have founded PIKI (Protestants),
ISKA (Roman Catholics) and FCHI (Hindu), but these organizations
are not nearly as influential as ICMI.

Syarwan said ABRI's stand on the proliferation of intellectual
organizations does not contradict Edi Sudradjat's call for a
single organization. "The main point in Edi's statement is that
the presence of intellectual organizations should not disrupt the
nation's unity and cohesion."

Strong nation

He said Indonesia will be a strong country if all the various
components that make up the nation are strong.

"Indonesia will be strong if the Sumatrans are strong, the
Javanese are strong and the people of Sulawesi are strong," he
said. "In religious terms, Indonesia will be strong if the
Moslems are strong, the Protestants and Catholics are strong, the
Hindus and Buddhists are strong."

"So ABRI has no objections to these organizations," he added.

On another matter, Syarwan said the military was viewing with
concern the fact that many non-governmental organizations, in
Indonesia as well as overseas, are now using human rights issues
to try to discredit the government and to divide the nation.

"Many local NGOs have been affected by the currents of
globalization. They only see the negative aspects of the
government," he said without singling out any particular group.

He pointed out that the conference on East Timor in Manila
could hardly be expected to improve the human rights conditions
in East Timor. The meeting is simply a forum to discredit
Indonesia in the eyes of the world, he said.

He said critics of the government, at home and overseas, have
failed to give credit to the many efforts, and successes
achieved, particularly in improving the people's welfare. (rms)