PMII asks people not to talk about coup issue

Jakarta, NU Online
The Central Board of the Indonesian Muslim Student Movement (PB PMII) has urged all elements in the country not to sacrifice the integrity of the unitary state of RI (NKRI) for pursuing personal or group interests.

The NU student-initiated organization made the statement for considering there have been issues related to coup attempts which are allegedly masterminded by a score of generals.<<>br />
"PB PMII call on all (people) to think clearly in view of the national problems. We do not want Indonesia to be divided merely for the interests of certain groups. Indonesia should remain united," said General Chairman of PB PMII Adien Jauharudin here on Thursday (24 / 3).

Adien said that he was deeply concerned with various acts of violence in society which are commonly associated with religious anarchism, issues on diversity etc. Whereas Indonesia "is a large house built on the diversity of ethnics, religions, cultures and other".

"Indonesia is a house of Unity in Diversity. There should be no  discrimination. We reject any violence," said Adien.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said recently there was no such thing as a coup attempt, masterminded by several generals.

"I indeed have heard of the information since ten days ago but there is no such thing," he said on the sidelines of the Jakarta International Defense Dialog (JIDD) on Wednesday.

Djoko said Indonesia has been within the corridors of democracy corridor. "It is not that we have already developed democracy in our country," he said.

He said the stages of democracy had been determined and regulated in laws. According to agreements further stages would be done along with the House of Representatives through political platforms, he said.

"Let us just follow the stages. Our democracy is leading to maturity. So, if we still find shortcomings here and there that is a mere part of the process," he said.

"This means," Djoko said "there have been laws and political processes as stages of democracy that have agreed upon in the framework of reform. We all know it, so let us just follow it," he said.

Al Jazeera television station reported on Tuesday that a number of retired three-star generals had been behind campaign against Ahmadiyah and the violence against members of the small Islamic sect recently.

The generals had secretly supported a hard-line organization because of their common goal of toppling the present government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who they considered too weak and too reformist. (dar)