Three statements from three figures

The Jakarta Post on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2001 reported on the front page three statements from three prominent figures in our republic. Those three statements can be evaluated as having the same value, with a different nuance.

The Post carefully reported that President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid says that Megawati and the Military (TNI) are behind him, while the precise answer was only "there is no problem". Megawati and the Military are only expressing a legal situation that as long as Gus Dur is President they have to support him. The support expressed is for the institution and position and certainly not personal.

People should not forget that we are in the reform period, where the nation is trying to uphold supremacy of the law. This is clearly expressed by the Minister of Defense, saying: "TNI would support the state institutions but not individuals. TNI will change its stance only when the process is held in a constitutional way". The President (whoever he/she is) is the Supreme Commander of the Military and there is no doubt about the loyalty of the Military to their Supreme Commander.

Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab, as a seasoned politician, wants to be safe on all sides and his statement is proof of that. He said that the Military remained loyal to Abdurrahman Wahid but further said that (which is also correct) the Abdurrahman government is a legitimate government, so of course the Military are loyal to the government whatever direction the situation takes. Alwi Shihab is safe.

A few days ago in Suara Pembaruan we read what Alwi Shihab said about the intended talks with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Switzerland. He said that these talks did not mean that GAM should stop their military activities. Music in the ears of GAM and venom on the tongues of the Police and the Military. The GAM made good use of it and attacked the Strategic Army Command (Kostrad) units when they were on their way to a humanitarian mission.

My opinion is that everything should be conducted according to the existing law and not create a precedence which would harm our national political life. The special committee (Pansus) was created to gather and find facts about certain events and is in no position to hand down a verdict. There are institutions which have the authority and legal right to declare whether a person is right or wrong. So we should stick to our legal system and honor their position. This is what the reform is for and we should not deviate from this position, only because it can harm your own group. Let us think nationally and do what is best for the nation.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta