Prabowo demonstrates rapport with Amien

Prabowo demonstrates rapport with Amien

JAKARTA (JP): Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, the newly appointed
chief of the Army's Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad),
demonstrated yesterday his growing rapport with outspoken Moslem
leader Amien Rais by stating he did not have any problem with the
latter's often scathing attacks on the government.

Prabowo said he had met with Amien several times in the past,
but that neither spoke about strategic issues.

"We only shared opinions and ideas as good friends," he told
reporters covering the transfer of duty of the Armed Forces
Commander from Gen. Feisal Tanjung to Gen. Wiranto.

He said he was not concerned by Amien's often controversial
opinions, especially on state matters.

"People are free to have opinions which are different from
others," he said. "And it shouldn't be a problem... As long as
he makes his remarks in ways which are in line with the
Constitution, why should we be bothered?"

"Why should we try to gag outspoken people?" he asked.
"Indonesia is a democratic country, one that respects people's
rights to speak and express opinions."

"The state ideology Pancasila does not prohibit people from
forming their own opinions," said Prabowo, a son-in-law of
President Soeharto. He added that people should respect each
other despite differences in opinion.

Amien Rais is chairman of the 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah
-- a nonpolitical educational organization -- who became
political despite himself.

The political lecturer at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta
has often demanded presidential succession, and called for a
"clean and grand" coalition of people from various layers of
society to usher in reform.

Amien, for instance, has repeatedly criticized the applied
terms of reference of the copper and gold mining operations by
the American-affiliated PT Freeport Indonesia in Irian Jaya and
the now-aborted Busang gold mining scheme in East Kalimantan.

"I have known him (Amien Rais) for quite a long time," Prabowo
said.

The three-star general, however, stressed that outspokenness
should be accompanied by an awareness of the principles of
democracy and the Constitution.

He concluded that Amien's criticism had always been in line
with the Constitution.

"You can observe his statements lately," he said, "Amien
talked about nonviolent but constitutional campaigning, didn't
he?" (imn)