Take action against looters: Soeharto
Take action against looters: Soeharto
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto appealed to the nation to
maintain law and order together and instructed the Armed Forces
to take firm action against looters and those who broke the law,
Minister of Information Alwi Dahlan said yesterday.
"After listening to an evaluation presented by his ministers',
the President instructed that stern measures be taken against any
criminal activities," Alwi said after attending a meeting on the
political situation at Soeharto's private residence on Jl.
Cendana, Central Jakarta.
The President, after arriving home from Cairo yesterday
morning, summoned Vice President B.J. Habibie, Minister of
Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto,
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Feisal
Tanjung, Minister/State Secretary Saadilah Mursjid, Minister of
Justice Muladi, and Head of the National Intelligence
Coordinating Body (Bakin) Moetojib for a two-hour meeting.
They briefed Soeharto on the latest situation in the country
and developments since he left for Egypt six days ago.
According to Alwi, the president appealed to the people to
remain calm and refrain from taking action which could inflict
further suffering on their fellow citizens.
Soeharto and his entourage arrived back in Indonesia in the
early hours of Friday morning.
The Garuda Indonesia MD-11 ER airplane in which he traveled
touched down at Halim Perdanakusuma airport at 4 a.m., after a
10-hour flight from Cairo.
He was greeted by Habibie and several cabinet ministers. Also
present to welcome him back was his son Bambang Trihatmojo.
He was whisked back to his residence under heavy escort.
United
Separately, Commander of the Army Strategic Reserves Command
(Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto said the Armed Forces would
continue efforts to secure the city from looters and rioters.
"Orders from the Armed Forces commander are clear, if they
violate the law we will take stern action," he said.
He stressed the importance of people remaining calm to help
the Armed Forces restore order.
He pointed out the efficacy of community security systems, in
which residents living in an area work together to ensure
communal safety.
When asked about rumors that the Armed Forces command was
split, Prabowo quickly retorted by saying these were vicious
rumors and that efforts were being made to split the military.
"No, it's not true! We are united together under the
leadership of Armed Forces Commander Wiranto," he asserted.
"Do not believe lies and misinformation which can create
divisions among us," he added.
Meanwhile, during an evening session with legislators at the
House of Representatives here yesterday, Wiranto revealed that
Marines had been brought from the East Java towns of Surabaya and
Malang to reinforce security here.
Speaking of Tuesday's shooting incident at Trisakti University
in which four students were killed, Wiranto admitted there was
evidence that live bullets had been used.
He also admitted some of the students were hit inside their
campus grounds. (prb/imn)