Veterans deserve help: President

Veterans deserve help: President

JAKARTA: President Megawati Soekarnoputri called on the nation
on Wednesday to help veterans and their families who are
economically disadvantaged.

Megawati said the veterans deserved assistance although they
had never asked for it.

"It's only fair that we pay more attention to the fact that
most of the veterans and their families have a difficult life,"
Megawati told members of the Association of Wives of Veterans
(Perveri), who are convening their seventh congress here.

Complaining that the government did not have enough funds to
provide social security for the veterans and their families, the
President also called on well-off veterans to help their poor
colleagues.

Also present in the event were former state minister for
women's empowerment Mien Sugandhi and former social affairs
minister Inten Soeweno, whose late husbands were former top
military officers and veterans. -- JP