NU chief won't ask again to meet with President
NU chief won't ask again to meet with President
SEMARANG (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid says he will not make another
attempt to meet with President Soeharto after having been
rebuffed twice since his 1994 re-election as the chairman of the
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) organization.
Abdurrahman said here Saturday that he has received no reply
to the two requests he has made in the past two years to meet
with the President.
"Two letters (requesting to meet with the President) are
enough," he told journalists who asked why Soeharto has not met
him or been given the President's "blessing".
President Soeharto's "refusal" to see Abdurrahman has allowed
critics to question the legality of the chairmanship of
Abdurrahman, who was democratically re-elected and whose
leadership is recognized by the government.
Abdurrahman, a well-known government critic, is embroiled in a
bitter leadership dispute with Abu Hasan -- whom he defeated in
the 1994 election.
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, reaffirmed NU's stand to
stay away from the brewing presidential candidacy debate, unlike
other groups which have been more vocal in airing their views.
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will elect a new
president in 1998. So far, more than 20 individuals and
organizations affiliated to the Golkar grouping have announced
their support for Soeharto's re-election.
"We mean to stick to our policy of staying out of politics,"
he said. "We are like a train. We ply the regular route and have
a clear destination."
NU, Indonesia's largest Moslem organization, focuses its
mission on education and social services. But it gives its
members the freedom to get involved in politics on an individual
basis.
Abdurrahman criticized the re-emergence of sectarian politics
popular in the Old Order era of the 1950s.
He argued that sectarian politics has become a headache for
the government, citing as an example last year's flurry of
religious violence in East Timor.
"In the aftermath of the incidents, the calls were loud and
clear from certain groups wanting the government to send in more
troops to protect Moslems they said were being oppressed by Non-
Moslems," he said.
The calls were amazing, he said. The world wants the
government to withdraw its troops yet some wanted more troops to
help their group.
NU is trying hard not to get trapped in sectarian politics,
which, he said, is dangerous for a multi-ethnic and multi-
religion country like Indonesia.
"NU has its own vision. While many parties misunderstand
Islam, NU calls for all religious leaders to exercise self-
restraint and to control their followers," he said. (har/pan)