Soeharto wants intellectuals to find reasons for riots

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has called on intellectuals affiliated with the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals and other institutions to study the election- related riots and determine why they happened.

"The President is calling on intellectuals to find out the reasons for the riots, and see whether they are just some people's ignorance of religion and other things," Ali Yafie of the association said after meeting Soeharto at Merdeka Palace.

Yafie said the riots during and after the campaign were alarming.

At least 273 people were killed during campaigning, according to official data. This excludes casualties of the riot in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on May 23 which killed at least 123 people.

Ali and six others led by the association's chairman B.J. Habibie, who is also state minister of research and technology, met Soeharto, who was accompanied by Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono.

Violence erupted in many provinces during the 27-day campaign. The frequent clashes mostly involved supporters of the Moslem- based United Development Party (PPP) who fought supporters of the dominant Golkar or security forces.

The Banjarmasin riot, which was the most deadly, happened on the last day of campaigning on May 23. It was sparked by a clash between supporters of the PPP and Golkar.

One hundred and twenty-three people, called looters by police, were burnt alive when they were trapped by fire in two shopping centers and a department store.

Seventy-seven people went missing in the riot, which burned hundreds of shops, houses, supermarkets, cinemas and churches.

President Soeharto said the riots would not have happened if people had obeyed their religion's teachings.

"There is no religion which encourages its followers to destroy or harm public interest," Ali quoted Soeharto as saying.

Caving into public pressure, the government will hold voting again in Sampang, East Java, which was hit by riots hours after voting finished on May 29. Thousands of the PPP supporters rampaged, spurred on by allegations of vote-rigging.

Soeharto said religion played an important role in development and that religion was not separate from the state in modernization.

"Religion is playing an important role here, but we are not a theocracy nor a secular state," said.

In a separate meeting with State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, Soeharto said large campaign rallies caused the riots.

"Only a litany of complaints and criticism were heard during the rallies which were attended by thousands of people. They were easily agitated and they became violent," Sarwono quoted Soeharto as saying.

As a Golkar campaigner, Sarwono pioneered dialogues as a form of campaigning last month. These were attended by fewer people, who had a chance to talk to campaigners.

"Many problems could be solved in the dialogues, because we did not only raise problems but also found solutions," he said.

Sarwono had told Soeharto about next Thursday's Environment Day.

The Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of sociopolitical affairs, Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, said in Batam, Riau, yesterday that several "intellectual masterminds" behind the riots had been arrested.

If their movement had a clear objective, they would not stop at nothing to reach their aims, Syarwan was quoted by Antara as saying.

"We are continuing the intensive investigation until we find the people behind this," he said. "ABRI will not be distracted and will remain vigilant." (06/swe)