"TNI would never do it."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Defense minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro weighed in over coup rumor here on Friday saying that it would never happen.
"Who would do it? The one who owns a gun is TNI (the military). And, TNI would never do it," he said after seeing off an aerobatic team Jupiter to Malaysia at Halim Perdanakusuma airport.
His statement followed a report about a big demonstration on March 25 to protest against the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Purnomo said no coup would happen against the government of President Yudhoyono. "It would not go that far. If indeed efforts are made to topple the government we will crush them. We must not play around with our Unitary State of Indonesia integrity," he said.
The minister said Indonesia`s integrity must continue to be maintained. He said demonstrations are allowed but they must never turn anarchic to hurt all parties.
"People may express their opinions but there are also limits.
They may not cross the integrity line," he said.
Army chief of staff General Pramono Edhie Wibowo has recently also blasted the rumor saying "I guarantee it will never happen."
He said a coup is usually sponsored by the military but "I assure the army will never do it."
He said he had already told his juniors that a coup was not a good way of replacing a government.
"I have asked my juniors to stay away from it," he added.
(Reporting by Syaiful Hakim, editing by Yoseph Hariyadi)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
