700 students try to return to the House<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The number of student protesters taking to the
\ncity's streets on Friday was slightly lower than on previous
\ndays, but tension heightened in the early evening with a new
\nrally.<\/p>\n
A group of about 700 university students grouped in City Forum
\n(Forkot) marched along the toll road from Cawang in East Jakarta
\nheaded to the People's Consultative Assembly\/House of
\nRepresentatives (MPR\/DPR) building on Jl. Gatot Subroto, Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
There was brief drama when the group apprehended a man they
\nbelieved was trying to provoke security personnel by pushing
\nagainst the cordon.<\/p>\n
As of late evening, no clashes were reported but the students
\n-- who had reached the toll road in front of the Jakarta Police
\nheadquarters, about 1.5 kilometers from their target -- caused
\nheavy traffic congestion around the busy Semanggi cloverleaf.<\/p>\n
Their number dropped gradually as night fell.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day at Suropati Park, several hundred meters
\nfrom former president Soeharto's residence in Central Jakarta,
\nabout 70 members of Alarm joined an anti-Soeharto silent protest.
\nThe people, including high school and university students and
\nfarmers, bound their mouths with black cloth.<\/p>\n
\"We want to show that high school students also fight for the
\nnew democratic Indonesia,\" said technical high school student
\nAgus Zaelani as he waved the national flag.<\/p>\n
\"We're not just bullies and only involved in street brawls.\"<\/p>\n
Participants marched with their right arms up in a salute.<\/p>\n
\"We staged this silent action to express our protest at the
\nrulers, who seem to be deaf and blind to people's aspirations,\"
\nTaswin Total of Alarm said.<\/p>\n
Marching from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation office on
\nJl. Diponegoro, the protesters also demanded an end to the Armed
\nForces' dual function.<\/p>\n
The marchers dispersed peacefully at 4:15 p.m.<\/p>\n
At the Semanggi protest, Adian, a Forkot leader, said they
\nwere striving to reach the legislative complex to voice their
\nwish for the establishment of a presidium -- dubbed the
\nIndonesian People's Committee -- to replace President B.J.
\nHabibie's administration.<\/p>\n
Asked to comment on the protest, the head of the Jakarta
\nPolice's On-the-Alert Unit, Col. Arthur Damanik, expressed
\nexasperation.<\/p>\n
\"What are they going to do in the legislature? There's no
\nspecial session. Why don't they give us a break. Aren't they
\ntired at all?<\/p>\n
\"I just thought that I would have a little rest this
\nafternoon... I do not understand them at all.\"<\/p>\n
On Friday, security officials canceled a planned withdrawal of
\ntroops deployed at the MPR\/DPR building due to the latest
\ndevelopments in the capital.<\/p>\n
The decision was announced by National Police spokesman Brig.
\nGen. Togar M. Sianipar and Jakarta Military spokesman Lt. Col.
\nDJ. Nachrowi. (edt\/bsr\/ivy)<\/p>",
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