Soeharto says groups aimed to topple govt

Soeharto says groups aimed to topple govt

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto condemned yesterday the
Democratic People's Party (PRD) and other groups which were
exploiting the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) leadership
rift in an attempt to topple the government and revive communism.

Soeharto said the groups used democracy and human rights as a
mask to carry out their subversive activities to undermine the
government.

Soeharto's remarks were conveyed to the public by State
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman who had met him
to discuss the Olympic Games and the political situation.

The President said that in the past these organizations were
without form, hiding in the shadows. But now they had come into
the open with a clear agenda and communist doctrines.

The rift within the PDI culminated on July 27 in the brutal
takeover of the party headquarters from the supporters of the
democratically elected Megawati Soekarnoputri by the government-
backed breakaway leader Soerjadi.

The takeover triggered riots that claimed at least four lives,
and prompted the arrest of activists from the little-known PRD
and its affiliate organizations which have been accused of
inciting the riots.

"They used the conflict in the PDI to overthrow the legitimate
government and replace the Pancasila ideology with something that
is alien to us," the President was quoted by Hayono as saying.

Directing his warnings at the nation's youth, Soeharto
stressed that the latent danger of communism is real. It is not
something that is being made up, said the President.

Hayono said the president had noted that the groups were anti-
establishment and aimed to mobilize disgruntled people who had
not been successful out of the nation's development.

Referring to the PDI, Soeharto stated the internal conflicts
or disagreements within a political organization should also be
resolved internally.

He then reaffirmed the legitimacy of the Soerjadi leadership
of the PDI.

Soeharto added that if people had gripes about the government,
they should follow Megawati's example and take legal action.

Hayono expressed the government's strong suspicion that the
subversive organizations were being abetted by foreigners.

However, he said, the assistance came from private foreign
organizations, not governments. He claimed the foreign groups
were unhappy by the fast progress being achieved in Indonesia.

"The motivation of the external groups is to push Indonesia
away from tight global market competition," the minister said.

Armed Forces Chief of Social and Political Affairs Lt. Gen.
Syarwan Hamid has said the military is investigating a report
that the PRD had received assistance from an Australian labor
organization.

Meanwhile in Manila, AFP reported that the Philippine foreign
office has asked the Philippine defense department to verify
reports of Filipino communist rebels training opposition forces
in Indonesia.

An official, who requested anonymity, said the foreign office
wants to clarify the allegation made by an Indonesian general in
an interview with Time magazine.

Philippines Foreign Undersecretary Rodolfo Severino described
the situation in Indonesia as an "internal matter" which the
Philippines should not comment on.(mds)