We'll get tough, Wiranto says
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) has threatened to take stern action against anyone attempting to disrupt the Nov. 10 through Nov. 13 Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) as it believes the event is the "only gateway" to a democratic Indonesia.
Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto maintained that the session, as part of the national political agenda, must be secured and followed through.
"If there are still groups in the community who want to disrupt the session, they are not democratic... ABRI will get tough with them," Wiranto said before attending a Cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha presidential office.
Some 30,000 Armed Forces personnel have been deployed to safeguard both the event and the city ahead and during the session. Thousands of civilians have joined forces with the Armed Forces to ensure the city remains secure.
The upcoming session has been scheduled to deliberate and pass 12 draft decrees, including one on the rescheduling of the general election from 2002 to May or June 1999.
A stipulation in the draft decree, however, has sparked public protests as it guarantees the Armed Forces seats in the House of Representatives (DPR).
Many have urged that the Armed Forces should be represented only in the MPR, while the House should comprise only members elected in general elections.
On Wednesday, 20 students from the University of Indonesia grouped in the Students Action Front (KAM-UI) filed a petition against the military's presence in the House to the legislators at the legislative building on Jl. Gatot Subroto, Central Jakarta. They met -- on two separate occasions -- with legislators Andi Mattalata, Marwah Daud Ibrahim, and Aulia Rachman of the dominant Golkar and Endin A.J. Soefihara of the United Development Party (PPP).
They urged the legislators to fight for their aspiration that the military be ejected from the House.
If passed by the Assembly, the draft decree would be superior to other laws and would dictate the making of lower-level political laws which touch on the same issue.
As the only faction lobbying for the removal of the military from the House, Endin of PPP told the students the party would fight on for the cause, even if it meant decision-making through voting. "The PPP has no fear of losing in voting. The sure thing is that we will fight for people's aspirations," Endin said as reported by Antara.
A dozen other activists led by playwright Ratna Sarumpaet arrived to strongly reproach the body. The activists -- including human rights campaigner H.J.C. Princen and Pius Lustrilanang -- challenged the Armed Forces faction at the Assembly to establish a "democratic transitional government".
They walked out in anger because they found the legislators "not serious" about hearing their aspirations.
In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, some 100 Moslem students staged a protest in front of the provincial legislature on Wednesday to demand that the Special Session scrap the obligation that all political parties adopt state ideology Pancasila as their sole ideology.
In Padang, West Sumatra, former minister of transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo on Wednesday said public pressure must be amplified to keep the "questionable" Assembly's Special Session on the same track as public aspirations.
"People should remind those within the Assembly building that their decisions will affect the interests of the whole nation (not one certain group only)," he said.
In Jakarta, a group of some 700 residents from nearby Tangerang regency threw their full support behind the Special Session. They demonstrated in front of former defense minister Gen. (ret) M. Jusuf's house on Jl. Teuku Umar, Central Jakarta, to demand that the 70-year-old statesman mediate rifts within society concerning the Special Session. However Jusuf was in Ujungpandang.
In Bali, Antara reported that thousands of Hindus plan to hold mass prayers on Friday at Besakih temple, calling for divine help so that the Special Session proceeds smoothly. (30/28/29/msa/imn/prb/aan)