Wiranto says ABRI is having 'credibility test'

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto has acknowledged that prolonged social unrest in parts of the country has put the Armed Forces' credibility at stake.

"There are numerous problems of social unrest which ... demand the Armed Forces has the credibility to handle. These problems are a test for our credibility," he said, when addressing the job transfer ceremony of four high-ranking military officers at the ABRI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. Fachrul Razi transferred his post as chief of ABRI General Affairs to Lt. Gen. Sugiono, former deputy Army chief of staff. Fachrul has been appointed as secretary-general of the Ministry of Defense and Security to replace Lt. Gen. Suyono.

Maj. Gen. Agus Widjojo handed over his position as the assistant to ABRI commander on general planning to his successor Maj. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah.

Maj. Gen. Y.B. Wirawan, the coordinator of ABRI chief's experts staff, transferred his job to Maj. Gen. I Gede Nyoman Arsana.

Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar handed over as chief of the military Intelligence Agency (BIA) to his successor Maj. Gen. Tyasno Sudarto.

Wiranto acknowledged that an accumulation of unresolved social, political and economic problems was a threat to national unity and development programs. However, he passed on some of the blame to parties that had "misunderstood" reform as a chance to do what they will regardless of the danger to the nation.

Wiranto also discussed the difficult tasks that the Armed Forces would also face in the coming elections in June and in the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly in August.

He also spoke of the need for ABRI to have leaders with vision so the organization could continue to play an active role in the reform era.

"ABRI is of the opinion reform is necessary and a must, and it is repositioning its role in defense and politics," he said.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed BIA chief Maj. Gen. Tyasno Sudarto said after the ceremony his agency was willing to receive and study any information on the so-called "third parties" behind recent riots in various parts of the country.

"We'd be happy to cooperate with any individuals and groups who can give us information on 'third parties' which may have incited recent riots," he said.

The government has blamed weak intelligence for unrest that escalated and ran out of control.

I Wayan Karya, a staff member at the office of Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, said riots that occurred in several provinces simultaneously showed similar motives.

"If it is said that the government is late in handling the riots it is because of the weak intelligence network," he said after a limited cabinet meeting on Monday.

Attending the meeting then were Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Feisal Tanjung, Minister of Defense and Security/ABRI Chief Gen. Wiranto, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid, Minister of Justice Muladi and Attorney General A.M. Ghalib.

Separately, a politician has said that had ABRI been firm in its handling of unrest, escalation of violence would not have taken place.

Deliar Noer, the chairman of the Muslim Community Party, pointed at unresolved cases of rights abuse such as the murder spree in East Java and the shooting of students at Trisakti University last year convinced the public that the military was incapable of providing them with a feeling of safety.

Around 200 people have been killed in a series of gruesome murders that were said to have been committed by "ninjas" -- groups of marauding men in dark clothing and masks in the fashion of Japanese Ninja assassins. The murder spree originated in Banyuwangi in East Java but later spread to other towns in Central and even West Java.

"Some unscrupulous parties then exploited the incompetence of ABRI in order to create further violence," he added. "The Armed Forces must step up efforts to solve the cases of rights violations and take firm action against suspected instigators of riots." (rms/01)