Soeharto blames govt handling of students

Soeharto blames govt handling of students

JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto has criticized the
government's handling of students that led to bloodshed on
Friday, according to his half-brother Probosutedjo.

"The reason why I resigned in the first place was to avoid
bloodshed. Why should this happen now?" Soeharto was quoted as
saying by the businessman, who related the views in an interview
with Antara on Saturday.

"The government should've talked to the students," Soeharto
said on Friday when Probosutedjo met him at his residence.

Soeharto resigned on May 21 amid mounting nationwide protests
led by students demanding sweeping political reform. His vice
president, B.J. Habibie, took over the presidency which Soeharto
had held since 1966.

Soeharto was named as the target of an investigation into
corruption in one of the 12 decrees endorsed by the People's
Consultative Assembly during the Special Session which ended on
Friday. His family and cronies also face investigation.

Soeharto and his grown-up children have rarely appeared in
public since his resignation in May. Probosutedjo has spoken in
public several times on behalf of the 77-year old former
president.

"This (bloodshed) happened because (the government) did not
listen to the students and did not treat them with respect,"
Soeharto said, as quoted by his half-brother.

He also said the government was responsible for the incident
and should therefore apologize to the public.

Probosutedjo said that he personally was proud of the student
protests because this time around they had not led to widespread
rioting like in May.

"That can only mean that the May riots were actually
engineered," he said, adding that the most recent wave of student
protests was purely an expression of concern.

Probosutedjo singled out MPR chairman Harmoko for particular
criticism, saying that he appeared to be on the point of laughter
during a television appearance to express his condolences after
the bloodshed on Friday.

"He (Harmoko) expressed his condolences at the bloodshed, but
his facial expression was close to laughter," Soeharto's half-
brother said.

He welcomed the government's plan to investigate Soeharto's
wealth, saying it would allow the matter to be laid to rest
quickly.

He said any money the former president has will be the
accumulation of his entire salary as president, when all his
expenses were taken care of by the state.

Probosutedjo said that even he was wealthier than Soeharto.
"His house in Kalitan (Surakarta) is nothing compared to mine in
Yogyakarta," he said. (emb)