Syarwan defends ABRI's civic role

BANDUNG (JP): A senior Army general believes that the Armed Forces (ABRI), as one of Indonesia's social and political forces, neither dominates nor determines the domestic political agenda.

ABRI's chief of sociopolitical affairs, Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, said, when closing a course on politics at the ABRI School for Staff and Command yesterday, that the ABRI's role in social and political affairs is an established fact.

It is irrelevant to question it, Syarwan said. "This role in permanent and belongs to all generations of ABRI," he said. However, "in reality, it is also influenced by time and space.

"This is why the function of ABRI in social and political affairs has to be adjusted from time to time," he said.

"The dynamics of politics here becomes an important factor in how the world shapes its opinion of Indonesia."

Syarwan was explaining the "dual function" concept of the military, which means that it has a role in both defense and social-political affairs.

He pointed out that today, nothing stands by itself. "One problem can originate from a number of aspects in life, while one aspect can give birth to numerous problems," he said.

Syarwan, who represented ABRI Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung at the ceremony, also spoke of the 1997 general election, and the importance of preventing an overheated social and political situation.

"One thing that is no less important is keeping vigilant against the possible emergence of people who merely make noises about politics and don't lean toward any of the three political organizations," he said.

Syarwan was referring to a group of people who waive their voting rights in the election by not choosing any of the contestants: Golkar, the United Development Party, or the Indonesian Democratic Party.

These people, calling themselves Golongan Putih (literally "the white group"), are very likely to have a negative impact on the general election, he said.(17/rms)