Urgent appeal to Gen. Wiranto

Urgent appeal to Gen. Wiranto

Gen. Wiranto, I would have preferred writing in a different
vein to commemorate Heroes Day tomorrow, but I am very
apprehensive of the mounting fervor leading up to the Special
Session of the MPR. Tension has been rising, as many groups have
been reverting to primordialism. Threats and counter-threats are
being issued daily, with every group claiming to represent the
people. With the exception of Amien Rais, Cak Nur, Gus Dur, and
Megawati, very few leaders are espousing non-violence. Many
others are instead exhorting their followers on, regardless of
the potential damage to the nation.

You know very well that ABRI's image is at its lowest ebb, due
to having identified itself too closely with the previous regime.
Now, you are faced with the unenviable task of maintaining law
and order during the forthcoming session, the majority of whose
members are the self-same legislators who elected President
Soeharto a little while ago. That many of our students no longer
trust these legislators should therefore not come as a surprise.
What most of the students fear is that the incumbents will use
this special session to further their own cause. I do not think
the students are against early elections, they just do not want
the rules to be rigged.

Tens of thousands of civilians are being prepared to face any
demonstrators. You could continue to issue statements that these
groups have assembled of their own volition, but very few
students will believe you. Gen. Wiranto, these civilians have not
been trained long enough to be able to control demonstrations
without resorting to violence. Confronting the students who are
fighting for a cleaner, more honest, more equitable Indonesia
with these groups is tantamount to pitting brother against
brother. This was the strategy employed by the colonial powers
who drafted very many Indonesians into the KNIL. Our freedom
fighters had no choice, then, but fight against their own
brethren.

Gen. Wiranto, there is a vacuum in credible leadership. You
should rise to the occasion. This is an opportunity to redeem TNI
(Armed Forces) worth, and build our country anew. Regain our
people's hearts by going back to your roots, to Gen. Sudirman,
and draw upon the tradition of self-sacrifice. Put the country
ahead of any other interests. Strengthen your resolve to make TNI
the people's army one again with the memory of thousands who laid
down their lives so that today we could live as free people. When
you commemorate their noble deeds at Kalibata tomorrow, take some
time to read the tombstones. You will find that many, many simple
and ordinary people fought valiantly against very heavy odds.

Do not pit brother against brother, Gen. Wiranto. Our people
have already suffered too much on account of the greed and
rapacity of their leaders. Remember that although keeping law and
order is important, higher still is the need to maintain national
unity. Surely, you do want our country to disintegrate -- then;
all our heroes will have died in vain. Please do not forsake the
dreams of our founding fathers. So when the students march
tomorrow, let them present their demands to the legislators who
claim to be people's representatives. If others march against
these students, let them too, present their support for the
incumbents. But keep these two opposing groups apart. These
students are our children, Gen. Wiranto, they are our future.
However, if you let blood flow tomorrow, if you turn away and let
brother kill brother, history will never forgive you.

H.S. Dillon

Jakarta