Alisa, Jakarta – Dita Indah Sari from the United Opposition Front (Barisan Oposisi Bersatu, BOB) has strongly criticised the current crop of presidential candidates who are creating illusions, such as [former Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), [National Mandate Party chairperson] Amin Rais and [Justice and Prosperity Party chairperson, PKS] Hidayat Nurwahid.

According to Sari, they are creating illusions in the minds of ordinary people while in reality they have yet to put forward any kind of program to resolve the country’s problems.

On the question of foreign colonialism, militarism and corruption we can see that they have no program to resolve these problems, instead, I am convinced that they will prolong these problems, especially if someone like SBY who has a military background [becomes president] said Sari.

According to Sari, SBY is the person most responsible for crimes against humanity in Aceh since martial law came into forces so you cannot say that SBY is clean and hasn’t committed crimes.

Like Sari, Acehnese women’s activist Suraiya also said that SBY is the person most responsible for martial law in Aceh. Likewise, Amin Rais was the speaker of the People’s Representative Assembly when the policy on martial law as formulated. However she was suppressed that the PKS has also gone along with martial law in Aceh when they have consistently opposed military aggression in Iraq yet on the issue of Aceh have not had the courage to oppose the military.

[Translated by James Balowski.]