Wiranto meets numerous senior ABRI veterans

Wiranto meets numerous senior ABRI veterans

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces
(ABRI) Chief Gen. Wiranto on Friday held a meeting with a number
of retired generals, including those known to be critical of the
military.

The meeting was closed to the press and held at the Armed
Forces Merdeka Barat headquarters in Central Jakarta. Among the
attendants were former vice president Gen. (ret) Try Sutrisno,
former minister of defense Gen. (ret) Leonardus Benjamin
Moerdani, former minister of home affairs Gen. (ret) Rudini and
former national police chief Gen. (ret) Awaloeddin Djamin.

Also attending were former navy chief of staff Adm. (ret)
Tanto Kuswanto, former envoy to the United States Lt. Gen. Hasnan
Habib, former chief of the state intelligence coordinating body
Lt. Gen (ret) Moetojib, former chief of the Udayana regional
military command Maj. Gen. (ret) Theo Syafei, former chiefs of
ABRI intelligence agency Maj. Gen. (ret) Syamsir Siregar and Lt.
Gen. (ret) Arie Sudewo, and former governor of the National
Resilience Institute Lt. Gen. (ret) Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo.

Meanwhile, Wiranto was accompanied by Army Chief of Staff Gen.
Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, Navy Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Widodo A.S.,
National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi, Governor of the
National Resilience Institute Lt. Gen. Agum Gumelar, National
Military Police Chief Maj. Gen. Djasrie Marin, ABRI Spokesman
Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif and former Jakarta military commander
Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.

Earlier on Thursday evening, President B.J. Habibie separately
met Try Sutrisno and former minister of defense and security Gen.
(ret) Edi Sudradjat. They reportedly discussed efforts to calm
the situation down after last week's incident which killed 15
people and injured hundreds of others mainly at the Semanggi
cloverleaf in South Jakarta.

After the two-hour meeting, Try Sutrisno said the agenda had
included efforts to maintain good relations between Armed Forces
headquarters and the Armed Forces Big Family.

"We hope that ABRI and the Armed Forces Big Family will always
be able to communicate with ABRI leaders and provide as many
inputs as possible so that ABRI officers can perform their duties
well," he said. Try said the meeting concluded that ABRI would
remain committed to the continuing existence of the Republic of
Indonesia.

He, however, declined to comment on whether the meeting also
discussed the treason charges against signatories of a joint
communique by several government critics, including National
Front opposition group leader Lt. Gen. (ret) Achmad Kemal Idris
and National Reform Movement leading figure Maj. Gen. (ret)
Hariadi Dharmawan. Edi Sudradjat is also a Front member.

Also on Friday, some 20 women grouped under the Indonesian
Women's Action Front, led by rights activist Yeni Rosa Damayanti,
protested against ABRI's dual function in front of the defense
ministry office and marched to the Hotel Indonesia roundabout.

Dressed in black, the women sang modified versions of
lullabies and asked women along the street to join them. "The
termination of ABRI Dwifungsi (dual political-military role)
cannot be bargained anymore," Yeni said. Their posters among
others read "Stop Military Violence" and "Iron Fist is not
Democracy."

Separately, United States assistant secretary of state Harold
Koh said here on Friday that Washington would like to see the
Indonesian military weaning itself away from its controversial
role in the country's political life.

"Efforts to move towards an end of Dwifungsi have to be
supported and applauded," Koh, who is assistant secretary of
state for democracy and human rights told a media conference
here, AFP said.

Indonesian students want an immediate termination of the
military's political role, while several opposition politicians
and the legislatures have suggested a more gradual phase out.

"We are moving into a new era where this role had to be
reduced," said Koh, who added that he had discussed the issue in
talks here Thursday and Friday with representatives of the
Indonesian Armed Forces.

"This reform is now necessary to bring a new era of
democracy," he said.

Koh also said he was encouraged by enquiries now under way
into past human rights abuses, and compared them to the Truth and
Justice Commission in South Africa, a process which he said
generally contributed to confidence.

"ABRI is committed to such investigations...I hope the
commitment will be carried out," he added.

Koh, who took his oath of office only last week, said it was
his first visit to Indonesia, and that his main mission here had
been to get acquainted with the country.

He said he had met representatives of human rights groups,
labor unions, and some high military officials. (imn/edt)