Youth leaders pledge to uphold unitary state

Youth leaders pledge to uphold unitary state

JAKARTA (JP): Youth figures representing various organizations
declared their commitment on Tuesday to maintain the unitary
Republic of Indonesia.

A joint statement was issued in response to rising calls for
independence and a federal state for the country, Syaifullah
Yusuf, who chairs Anshor, the youth wing of the Nahdlatul Ulama
Muslim organization, said.

"We call on Aceh and Irian Jaya people to stay within the
unitary state of Indonesia with a large scale of autonomy,"
Syaifullah said as he read out the joint statement.

The youth leaders urged the government of Abdurrahman Wahid to
settle Aceh, Maluku and Irian Jaya cases and to make it the top
priority. They also suggested that those issues be tackled in a
proactive, systematic, firm and wise manner.

They warned the public of efforts to break up the country
through foreign intervention and from Indonesian citizens with
close ties to foreign countries.

Several youth figures attended the year-end conference,
including Irian Jaya youth leader Yorris Raweyai who is the
deputy chairman of Pemuda Pancasila, Fadly Zon from the Crescent
Star Party and deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Roy B.B. Janis.

Chairman of the Muslim Worker's Union Eggi Sudjana, the
chairman of Pemuda Muhamadiyah, Imam Addaruqudni, Farid
Prawiranegara of the Pendidikan Kebangsaan Foundation and Ahmad
Muzani of the Muslim Youth Movement were also at hand.

"Although we come from various backgrounds, we can sit
together here. Some of us are often called agent provocateurs,"
Eggi, who is known for leading street rallies in the city, said.

Meanwhile, Yorris, denied allegations that he was behind the
separatist movement in Irian Jaya. Activists in Irian Jaya said
Yorris supported the hoisting of the separatist flag in the
easternmost province on Dec. 1.

Yorris said the Irianese who joined the flag hoisting event
ruled out a possible breakaway from the republic.

Separately, the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction at the
House of Representatives also rejected the adoption of a federal
system.

"A federal system is not the solution to the nation's
problems. Autonomy and fair distribution of wealth would be more
applicable," the faction's chairman Taufikurrahman Saleh said at
a year-end conference on Tuesday. (jun)