The armed forces will not hesitate to cut to pieces (membabat) all anti-government groups, said the commander of ABRI, the armed forces, General Feisal Tanjung, after a meeting with President Suharto. He said that ABRI would be ready to face every threat to security in the run-up to the MPR meeting in March.

"We will strike down and out-manoeuvre (melibas) any group, from left or right, who dares to take a stand against the government", he told journalists.

He said the intelligence agency, Bakin, was keeping close watch on all extreme groups that are planning to disrupt the meetings of the MPR. "We are watching them, my network is watching them all the time," he said.

General Feisal Tanjung said that democracy did not mean the emergence of unhealthy, radical political ideas and movements which can only undermine political stability.

The ABRI commander met the President to report on preparations of an ABRI leadership meeting to be held from 10-12 February which will map out plans to deal with any emergencies that might disturb the MPR session. Commanders from all the forces including the police will be present at the meeting.

He said the current financial crisis could also have an impact on the political and social situation but insisted that "everything is under control and nothing has yet reached a point that endangers national stability".

Responding to these remarks, one member of Parliament from the PPP group, Saleh Khalid, said: "We need to be vigilant but it's surely not necessary to use such language."