[Rantau ini dijangka akan semakin kacau jika perang berterusan. Apabila banyak mayat umat Islam yang tidak berdosa bergelimpangan golongan yang dulunya sederhana akan menjadi radikal. Lihatlah Pakistan sekarang yang sudahpun bergoyang kerana umat Islam Afghanistan dihujani bom siang dan malam sedangkan merela tidakpun melakukan apa-apa kesalahan. - Editor]

CNN Asia

Megawati mendesak AS tamatkan serangan

(Megawati urges end to U.S. strikes)

JAKARTA. Presiden Megawati Sukarnoputri telah mendesak diadakan gencatan senjata di Afghanistan sambil memberi amaran seandainya konflik itu dipanjangkan berkemungkinan runtuhnya pakatan sejagat untuk memerangi keganasan.

Berucap pada pembukaan sessi tahunan Majlis Perundingan Rakyat yang akan berlangsung selama 10 hari itu, beliau menyebut tindakan ketenteraan seharusnya dihentikan semasa bulan Ramadhan dan juga Krismas.

?Tindakan tentera yang berpanjangan bukan sahaja tidak akan membawa sebarang kesan, ia juga akan melumpuhkan pakatan bersama untuk memerangi keganasan,? katanya.

?Kami mengesyorkan dihentikan serangan itu untuk memberi ruang menangani masalah keinsanan dan untuk mencari jalan penyelesaian melalui saluran diplomatik.?

Sebelum itu Megawati telah dikecam oleh beberapa kumpulan agama kerana kegagalan mengutuk serangan yang diketuai oleh AS untuk mengganyang Afghanistan. Kecaman beliau itu adalah sebahagian ucapan ketika membuka sessi MPR dan sebagai memenuhi tempoh 100 hari beliau memeganag jawatan presiden.

Ucapan itu dianggap sebagai lapuran kemajuan pentadbiran beliau dan memberi peluang untuk menyahut kritikan orang yang telah menuduh beliau capek dalam kepimpinannya dan gagal menangani masalah Indonesia yang menyangkuti ekonomi dan sosial.

Namun, beliau tidak pula memberikan keyakinan akan cara-cara menangani masa depan negaranya secara optimis.

Bebanan Hutang

Menyentuh masalah ekonomi, Megawati ada menyebut betapa keupayaan negara membayar hutang bertapuk ?sudah memuncak ke tahap berbahaya.?

Kesannya sebahagian dana kerajaan terpaksa diperuntukkan kepada pembayaran faedah hutang itu yang membawa makna kerajaan terpaksa lebih berhemah dengan perbelanjaannya.

Hutang luar Indonesia sebanyak $140 bilion adalah sama dengan keluaran tahunan kasar negara.

Untuk menarik pelabur asing, Megawati mahu Indonesia membetulkan imejnya yang tercemar dengan menegakkan suasana stabil dalam segi politik dan sosial.

Sebelum itu sessi MPR tergendala disebabkan perbalahan antara beberapa ahli dewan. Pergaduhan itu tercetus setelah beberapa perwakilan dalam dewan yang mempunyai anggota seramai 700 ahli meminta peluang berucap mengumumkan pembentukan fraksi mereka yang baru tetapi telah ditolak oleh speaker Amien Rais.

Tamat.

Terjemahan: SPAR.

Asal:

http://asia.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/ southeast/11/01/megawati.address/index.html

Megawati urges end to U.S. strikes

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has called for a ceasefire in Afghanistan warning that the longer the conflict continues the more likely the global coalition against terrorism would crumble.

Speaking at the opening of the annual 10-day session of Indonesia's supreme People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) she said military action should be halted during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan and as well as Christmas.

"Prolonged military action is not only counterproductive, but also can weaken the global coalition's joint effort to combat terrorism," she said.

"We call for the need for a humanitarian pause to provide an opportunity to handle humanitarian aspects, and to find a way to find a solution via political and diplomatic means."

Megawati, who heads the world's most populous Muslim country, has been criticized by several religious groups for failing to condemn the U.S.-led military action in Afghanistan.

Her comments came as part of a state of the nation address marking the opening of the MPR session and the completion of her first 100 days in office.

The speech was billed as a progress report on her administration and a chance for her to respond to critics who have accused her of lacking leadership and failing to tackle Indonesia's serious economic and social problems.

However, she offered little in the way of optimism on the country's future.

Debt burden

On the economy she said Indonesia's ability to repay its huge debt burden was "already reaching a dangerous limit".

As a result she said a growing portion of government funds had to be allocated to interest repayment meaning its already thin spending might have to be cut further.

Indonesia's foreign debt of some $140 billion is about the same as the country's annual gross domestic product.

In her address Megawati said that to attract foreign investors back Indonesia would have to repair its battered image by boosting the country's political and social stability.

Earlier the start of the MPR session was delayed briefly after a brawl broke out between legislators.

The fight broke out after regional representatives to the 700-member assembly demanded the right to make a speech announcing the creation of their own faction -- a request turned down by speaker Amien Rais.

Several legislators were shoved and a few punches were thrown in the brief fracas before order was restored and the assembly was able to begin business.

During their 10-day session MPR members will offer their response to Megawati's report.

Presidential polls

They are expected to urge the president to show stronger leadership and take a more hands-on approach to ensure much needed reforms are pushed through.

Also during the meeting members are expected to approve legislation paving the way for direct presidential elections in 2004.

The poll would follow a general election scheduled for that year for the 500-member Indonesian parliament although the format of the presidential election has not yet been made clear.

On previous occasions the MPR has appointed presidents and vice presidents -- as well as having the power to sack them, as it did in Wahid's case in July of this year.

Lawmakers backing direct elections have argued that Wahid's appointment to the presidency in 1999 did not reflect the will of the Indonesian people as expressed in parliamentary elections earlier that year.

Wahid's party won only 10 percent of the vote while Megawati's PDI-P took the lion's share of the rest.