Two opposition figures arrested

Two opposition figures arrested

JAKARTA (JP): The police have detained two opposition figures
-- Hariadi Darmawan and Roch Basoeki Mangoenpoerojo -- and have
reportedly targeted two more.

Bambang Widjojanto from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation
told reporters here yesterday that Hariadi, who chairs the
Association of University of Indonesia Alumnae and initiated the
National Reform Movement, had been questioned for 13.5 hours
beginning at midnight on Friday.

Roch, who is a member of the opposition National Front group,
was questioned from 1.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Bambang named critical playwright Ratna Sarumpaet and former
serviceman Brig. Gen. (ret) Ibrahim Saleh as the next police
targets.

Another opposition leader, Lt. Gen. (ret) Kemal Idris of
National Front, who is reportedly among others targeted by
police, defiantly told reporters: "If they want to arrest me, go
ahead. I am not afraid.

"That's a risk I am ready to take. My wife always said that
(arrest) is the (possible consequence) of (my) stance and I agree
with that and I hold on to that," he added.

AFP said Theo Syafei, who is a member of the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI), was also being questioned. The police
could not be reached to confirm this.

Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid was rumored to have been
arrested, but he said that the Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief of
Sociopolitical Affairs, Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and
the chief of the Jakarta Military Command, Maj. Gen. Djadja
Suparman, had telephoned to inform him that the military never
had any intention to arrest him.

"I am safe here. Actually, we are trying to find a way to
compromise with the military because the military also belongs to
us as a nation. We should not let any efforts to discredit them
succeed," Abdurrahman said.

President B.J. Habibie, in a televised address on the security
situation on Saturday, spoke of groups indulging in actions that
are tantamount to rebellions.

He did not name names. However, Bambang believed the President
was referring to a group of 17 people who on Thursday issued "a
joint communique" calling for the establishment of a "Provisional
People's Consultative Assembly" and, eventually, a presidium
which would serve as a provisional government.

"The presidium will in turn establish the Provisional Reform
Cabinet," the group said in a statement signed by, among others,
Kemal Idris, Ali Sadikin of the Petisi 50 opposition group,
economist Sri Edi Swasono and Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, the
youngest daughter of founding president Sukarno.

The group explained the presidium was to be manned by
community leaders and figures from universities, and mass and
political organizations. The presidium was to be tasked with
organizing a free and fair general election early next year,
establishing a new people's consultative assembly, and taking
steps to bring about clean governance.

The presidium was also to "investigate all abuse of power by
state officials, beginning with former president Soeharto and
President B.J. Habibie, both of whom have committed various
political, economic, social and cultural crimes."

Meanwhile, Habibie worked late into the night at the State
Palace. He received some community leaders, including Anwar
Harjono of the Islamic Propagation Council (DDI), Ahmad
Tirtosudiro of the Muslim Intellectuals Organization (ICMI), Siti
Hartati Murdaya from a Buddhist organization, Ali Yafie of the
Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), Cosmas Batubara, Frans Seda,
Maraden Panggabean and Oka Mahendra.

Late on Saturday, Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung said
Habibie had completely entrusted the task of restoring order to
Wiranto, including making arrests if necessary.

He insisted Habibie would still go ahead with his plan to
attend the APEC summit in Kuala Lumpur next week, saying the
president plans to depart on Tuesday Nov. 17 and return home the
following day.

According to Akbar, Habibie has yet to express his desire to
meet with reform leaders Amien Rais, Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X. (01/swe/prb/byg)