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)