Soeharto should be included in dialog on 'dwifungsi'

Soeharto should be included in dialog on 'dwifungsi'

JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto is now wanted for
another dialog -- one on the controversial dual function doctrine
of the military.

Minister of Transmigration and Resettlement of Forest Nomads,
A.M. Hendro Priyono said on Tuesday that senior figures from the
Armed Forces (ABRI) and civilians should conduct a dialog to
review the dwifungsi doctrine.

He said the dialog should aim at evaluating the dual
function's original concept and its implementation in the
nation's social and political spheres.

Hendro, also an active Army lieutenant general, said the
dialog should involve ABRI officers from the 1945 generation such
as Gen. (ret) A.H. Nasution, then Army chief of staff, who
conceived the dwifungsi concept, and Gen. (ret) Soeharto, who
implemented it during his 32-year term in office, their
successors such as Gen. (ret) Try Sutrisno, a former vice
president, and Gen. (ret) L.B. "Benny" Moerdani, former defense
minister and Armed Forces commander, and the officers of the
current generation.

He also cited some civilian figures such as senior economist
Soemitro Djojohadikusumo and the chairman of the Indonesian
Council of Islamic Propagation (DDI) Anwar Harjono among the
possible participants of the dialogue.

"The 1945 figures must start the dialog, if all of them have
concern for the fate of this nation," Hendro said. He urged that
the dialog immediately bring about a recommendation concerning
the doctrine, the end of which has been called for in widespread
student demonstrations.

Hot issues in the ongoing deliberation of political bills in
the House of Representatives include unelected seats which the
Armed Forces faction seeks to retain. Scores of rights abuses
have been blamed on the dual function.

Hendro stressed that discussion of dwifungsi was urgently
required because lack of clarity would continue to pose problems
to all officers assigned to work in the central government or in
remote districts.

"The dwifungsi is still an unsolved problem," he said at a
breaking of the fast at his office.

The suggestion of including Soeharto in the dialog follows the
controversial inclusion suggested by Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman
of the largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama, of the 77-
year-old former president in a national dialog. Soeharto's
inclusion was needed because he had many loyalists, he said.

Meanwhile a military official said security personnel are
allowed to shoot suspected looters or robbers on the spot as a
last resort in order to curb rampant looting in Java and Bali.

Lt. Gen. Fachrul Razi, head of the Armed Forces' General
Affairs section and secretary of the Agency for the Coordination
and Support for the Development of National Stability
(Bakorstranas) said Tuesday that the measure would be allowed if
suspects "are considered to be endangering other people."

He said the Armed Forces (ABRI) has stationed enough security
personnel in at least 50 critical areas in Greater Jakarta and
the northern coastal areas of Java.

Transportation companies and truck drivers have reported
increased robberies on highways along the north and south coast
routes of Java. (ivy/rms)