Wiranto warns students not to leave campuses

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) promised yesterday to continue respecting student demonstrations, but warned that the military would not remain idle if the protests turned violent.

ABRI Commander Gen. Wiranto warned the students that they should not take to the streets because this could lead to destruction of property, in which case, the military would have to act.

Wiranto said he was willing to meet with the student leaders.

"They'd better come and discuss their demands with us, rather than mobilize their masses," he said during a media briefing at ABRI headquarters on Jl. Merdeka Barat.

There have been many spontaneous student protests on various university campuses across the country since the start of the month. The students are demanding government action to lower food prices and implement economic and political reform.

Originally timed to coincide with the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly, the demonstrations continued on several campuses yesterday even though the Assembly ended Wednesday.

Most of these protests have been staged inside the campuses. There have been skirmishes with the police and military when students attempted to take their protests outside.

When asked for his view about these demonstrations, Wiranto said they were acceptable and within the law.

"Their demands are normal," he said, "ABRI will respect their demands as long as they are constructive to the efforts to solve the economic crisis."

He said there were other more constructive ways than to protest by which students could channel their energy, such as performing good deeds for the people.

On political reform, he said ABRI, which has 75 seats in the 1,000-strong House of Representatives, was just as committed as the students. "(But) ABRI is only committed to gradual, not instant and radical, reforms," he said. "Radical changes will bring destruction and could lead to the nation's disintegration."

In response to journalists' questions, Wiranto said his office was also open to any offers of dialog from government critics in a bid to solve the economic crisis.

"We can arrange it. Why not?" he said.

Journalists have proposed that the ABRI leadership meet with prominent critics like Megawati Soekarnoputri, Abdurrahman Wahid and Amien Rais, all of whom have criticized the government's handling of the economic crisis.

Wiranto said he agreed that dialog should be an integral part of the efforts to settle the crisis, which he said must be the top priority for the new government.

Separately, Army's chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Putu Rai said yesterday that Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, currently commandant- general of the Army's special force (Kopassus), would be installed as the Army's Strategic Reserves commander on March 20.

Prabowo's appointment was announced last month but his move was delayed until after the MPR General Session.

He replaces Lt. Gen. Soegiono who will be appointed deputy Army chief of staff on March 17, Putu told Antara.

Maj. Gen. Muchdi PR, currently Tanjungpura regional commander, will be appointed Kopassus commandant-general on March 24. (imn)