Politicians warn of vested interests

Politicians warn of vested interests

JAKARTA (JP): Politicians and youth activists warned on
Tuesday that groups with political agendas were playing on
people's mutual suspicions to divide and conquer.

Since 1996, unsolved investigations into riots with religious
overtones led the leaders to state their conviction they would
remain a mystery and that people must work to overcome prevalent
distrust, Antara reported. Fourteen were killed on Sunday in
riots which damaged several buildings, including churches.

Voicing concern were the chairman of the People's Awakening
Party Matori Abdul Djalil, coordinator of the Movement for
Justice and Unity of Indonesia Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, Nahdlatul
Ulama intellectual Said Agil Siradj, Arnold Purba of the
Solidaritas Nusa Bangsa, Helmi Faishal of the Indonesian Moslem
Student Action Front, Faisol Reza of the Democratic People's
Party, the Nadhlatul Ulama Youth Generation, Dadang Trisasongko
of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation and R. Tjiptoning of the
Megawati Soekarnoputri Supporters Committee.

Sarwono urged everybody to focus efforts making the reform era
a reality. "It's clear that there has been a counterproductive
reaction from parties who do not like the public's capability to
uphold their sovereignty in this republic."

He believed the creation of chaos would enable the rise of "an
authoritarian regime" amid widespread "apathy and despair".

"What's tragic is that we are about to face a general
election," he said, adding it remains the strongest political
means to establish a democratic and legitimate government.

Criticizing the government of President B.J. Habibie was less
important, Sarwono said. Conflicts marked by religious overtones
are a clear manifestation of how people are being pitted against
each other, he added.

"That (the division) is directed at a huge mass basis...
what's deplorable is that there have been too many wasted
casualties just because of some groups' political ambition."

Of the Sunday riots in Ketapang, West Jakarta, Matori said the
destruction of religious sites reflected "deliberate acts" aimed
to destroy interfaith tolerance. Said Agil said: "We must now
foster the understanding... that to damage a church is
tantamount to damaging a mosque, and vice versa."

Since 1996, he added, riots were started by exploiting
religious issues, such as the damaging of places of worship.

He cited riots in Tasikmalaya in West Java, Situbondo in East
Java, and the recent mysterious killings mainly in East and
Central Java which have claimed over 200 lives.

Said Agil said he was "not optimistic" that closure would be
reached on the Ketapang riots, the military-student clashes of
Nov. 12 and Nov. 13 which claimed 16 lives and treason charges
against public figures. (aan)