Susilo pledges to tackle conflicts in restive areas
JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said one of his top priorities would be to help resolve problems in the strife-torn provinces of Aceh, Maluku and Irian Jaya.
After presiding over his first ministerial coordinating meeting here on Tuesday, Susilo said there should be equitable and realistic solutions for all of the problems in the provinces based on the concept of the unitary Republic of Indonesia.
"We hope that the implementation of special autonomy for Aceh and Irian Jaya can provide comprehensive solutions, which are acceptable to everybody," Susilo said.
He underlined that the government will give enough leeway for these regions to control their own affairs and will listen the people's aspirations as long as they are based upon the concept of an integrated and unified Indonesian state.
Among those present during the meeting were Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Sudirdja, Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D., Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo AS and Attorney General Marzuki Darusman.
Earlier on Monday after the official handover from Surjadi Sudirdja, Susilo had also said that the ongoing clashes have only exacerbated the sense of national insecurity and were hampering economic recovery.
"It is my priority to find the most equitable, appropriate and constitutional format to end all of the problems in Aceh, Maluku and Irian Jaya in the near future," Susilo said.
Susilo described five immediate "homework" exercises for him to tackle: improving security in the country and avoiding disintegration, upholding the law, implementing regional autonomy, internal reform of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police and enhancing international diplomacy in the national interest.
"But all five of these aspects will once again raise the specter of the many problems prevailing in the three provinces," he added.
"Frankly speaking, there are many areas in Indonesia where people feel insecure, where people can be easily provoked to create riots. I believe that the government should pay more attention to the recent conditions," he added.
Regarding the expanded responsibilities of his office, which now include social affairs, Susilo said some of the functions of the former coordinating minister for people's welfare and poverty eradication would be put under his office's authority.
"Some of the authority will be put directly under the Vice President's office. But everything related to sociopolitical problems will be under the coordination of my office," he said.
Susilo explained that the new state minister for administrative reforms, Ryaas Rasyid, was planning to restructure the allocation of duties as between the coordinating minister of political, social and security affairs and the Vice President's office.
On the recent wave of bomb threats, Susilo considered that the government could stop the ongoing wave of terrorism by increasing the public's awareness about such threats.
"I have ordered the National Police chief, TNI and the minister of home affairs and regional autonomy to develop measures to enhance the public's awareness of such disturbances and to create control mechanisms before more incidents occur," Susilo said on Tuesday.
Susilo added that the police would play a role in informing and educating the members of the public so as to provide them with better information on such threats and enable them to become better prepared.
"We hope that by providing clear information, the public will not panic and will report to the security forces if there are any indications of a bomb," Susilo said.
"We are not prepared for it, that is why we have to find correct ways of avoiding and handling such incidents," he added. (dja)