Violence reinforces intolerance of ABRI

Violence reinforces intolerance of ABRI

JAKARTA (JP): The violent clashes this week which have
resulted in hundreds of injuries and a number of deaths among
students, security forces, and civilian security volunteers
appear to have reinforced people's intolerance of the Armed
Forces' conduct.

The Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI)
said on Friday that students rejecting the Special Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) was "democratically
ethical".

This contrasted with repeated statements of Minister of
Defense and Security/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto
that justified the presence of the thousands of vigilantes.

"The civilian security volunteers would not have been there in
the first place if there had been no effort to foil the Special
Session," Wiranto said.

Calls to withdraw the vigilantes, many of whom carried sharp
weapons, have fallen on deaf ears in the Armed Forces and the
police. Two of these volunteers claiming to be trying to secure
the session were killed on Friday, reportedly by Jakarta
residents. The session ended on Friday.

YLBHI through its chairman Bambang Widjojanto also warned in
its statement of "systematic efforts to pit various civilian
components against one another" by using conflicting attitudes
which supported and rejected the MPR Special Session. The session
ended on Friday.

Mitra Perempuan, the Foundation for the Eradication of
Violence against Women, said: "In this era of reform, in which
the aim of democracy is shared by all... the Special Session
which was expected to realize the dreams of the Indonesian people
has instead demonstrated an opposite condition."

The barricades of security forces which should have ensured
everyone's safety, Mitra's statement of protest said, "have
instead shown a repressive attitude arousing the fear of all
people, including mothers of (people) made to face these
barricades."

Also on Friday, the Front of Moslem Youths and Students
demanded an end to the Armed Forces' dual role. It said the
"greatest distortion in the social and political fields and human
rights violations have turned out to be mostly conducted by ABRI
members. So, for the sake of ensuring a civilian government, ABRI
should return to its barracks."

The Committee of Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
(Kontras) and several other organizations demanded that ABRI and
the police take responsibility for "blessing" the presence of
vigilantes through inaction against them.

Presenting a joint statement on Friday, Kontras coordinator
Munir questioned the fact that while the police said they had
confiscated sharp weapons carried by volunteers, similar groups
had shown up the next day, also with sharpened bamboo spears.

A group calling itself Front Sabilillah denied its involvement
in a vigilante group with a similar name. It warned that a
repetition of "using Islam as a tool of the military and the
rulers" would lead to "the allergy and antipathy of students to
all Moslem-sponsored reform movements". The front accused several
parties of being behind the vigilantes, including the military,
saying it had sufficient evidence to substantiate its claim.

The St. Thomas Aquinas Association of Catholic Students
expressed its condolences over the death of the students and
demanded that Gen. Wiranto resign.

"We protest the ABRI commander's statement who charged that
students' peaceful demonstrations were parties who intended to
cause unrest with unclear purposes," the statement said. (anr)