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)