Armed volunteers, violent demos mar session opening<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The opening of the Special Session of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Tuesday was marred by
\nviolent demonstrations in several spots in Jakarta, some of which
\nescalated into clashes between students opposing the session and
\npro-session armed civilians.<\/p>\n
In the morning, at least 3,000 students coordinated by the
\nForum Kota group staged a rally about 200 meters from the House
\nof Representatives (DPR)\/MPR building. The students, who arrived
\nat the scene in buses, were stopped on Jl. Gatot Subroto by at
\nleast 400 security officers, including vigilantes or volunteer
\nsecurity units.<\/p>\n
Unable to break through the cordon, the students alighted from
\ntheir vehicles and held a rally in the middle of the road with
\nspeakers addressing their audience from the roof of one of the
\nbuses.<\/p>\n
Shortly afterward, the students and the security volunteers
\ntraded insults and hurled stones at each other.<\/p>\n
Both sides were eventually dispersed.<\/p>\n
Another, peaceful, protest occurred at the same place in the
\nafternoon. This time the security units had been replaced with
\nhundreds of heavily armed soldiers and riot police. It lasted
\nseveral hours and no clashes were reported.<\/p>\n
In the Salemba area in Central Jakarta, crowds of students
\ngathered at several spots, including the Foundation of the
\nIndonesian Legal Aid Institute office on Jl. Diponegoro and the
\ncampus of the University of Indonesia. They marched toward the
\nProclamation Monument on Jl. Proklamasi where they wanted to
\ngather and establish a \"parliament\".<\/p>\n
However, about 2,000 civilians transported in 14 trucks and
\narmed with spears and machetes, beat the students to the
\nmonument. Wearing Islamic attributes, the youths claimed they
\nwere there to say a special prayer for Hasan Basri, the chairman
\nof the Indonesian Council of Ulemas who died on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The students -- whose numbers swelled to about 5,000 --
\nsurrounded the place in their effort to get the armed security units out,
\nand soon both groups were trading insults and stones.<\/p>\n
The students -- chanting condemnations of Soeharto and the
\nArmed Forces -- tried to negotiate with the armed civilians and
\nthe security forces, whose number was comparably small.<\/p>\n
Clashes erupted when hundreds of local residents, mostly
\nteenagers, charged toward the park and started throwing stones.<\/p>\n
Reinforced by more than a dozen truckloads of colleagues from
\nthe Istiqlal Grand Mosque where the civilian guards were
\nconcentrated, the volunteers responded by throwing stones back at
\nthe swelling crowd.<\/p>\n
The stone-throwing lasted for about half an hour until more
\nsecurity forces arrived.<\/p>\n
By nightfall, 500 security personnel had been deployed to the
\nsite. About 500 more troops were posted around the nearby Megaria
\nshopping center.<\/p>\n
At 7 p.m., following more than two hours of negotiations
\nbetween students, represented by human rights campaigner Munir,
\nand the security, resulted in the evacuation of the armed
\ncivilians. They were reportedly sent back to the Istiqlal Mosque,
\nand their weapons, including stones, wooden clubs and bamboo
\npoles, were confiscated.<\/p>\n
The students then went into the monument complex where they
\nplanned to stay overnight. Central Jakarta police chief Lt. Col.
\nIman Haryatna said he had given them permission to stay until 10
\na.m. on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
A clash between local residents and the armed security units
\n-- many of whom had been riding on buses and trucks around the
\ncity on the pretext of \"patrolling\" -- also took place in Pasar
\nMinggu in South Jakarta, according to Antara.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday evening, Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho
\nDjajoesman was quoted by Antara as saying that he had ordered his
\nmen to strip the vigilantes of all their weapons, \"because the
\nlaw says it's forbidden for them to bring objects that could
\nendanger other people\".<\/p>\n
He said the civilians had volunteered to safeguard the
\nsession, but had gone overboard by arming themselves.<\/p>\n
Back at the Assembly building, after the opening led by
\nHouse\/Assembly Speaker Harmoko, the legislators held separate
\nmeetings within their factions.<\/p>\n
The regional representatives and the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI) factions delivered their views on the 12 draft
\ndecrees on Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n
Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Armed
\nForces (ABRI) factions are scheduled to convey their respective
\nviews on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The regional representatives faction leader, a former Jakarta
\ngovernor Surjadi Soedirdja, said the upcoming general election,
\nwhich is scheduled for May next year, was among the most
\nstrategic issues that should be thoroughly discussed during the
\nSpecial Session.<\/p>\n
\"There must be a fair and honest election to form a really
\nrepresentative government,\" Surjadi said after attending the
\nfaction's closed meeting at the Assembly.<\/p>\n
At its faction meeting, the United Development Party (PPP)
\ndecided to continue to push for five issues that it had failed to
\nhave included among the draft decrees.<\/p>\n
These issues include the faction's fight against ABRI's
\nrepresentation in the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
\"In the representative bodies, members should be elected,\" the
\nfaction's chairman in the Assembly, Faisal Baasir, said.<\/p>\n
The faction promised also to continue its call for an
\ninvestigation into the wealth of former president Soeharto, as
\nwell as former and incumbent high-ranking government officials
\nand their families. (edt\/byg\/das\/swe)<\/p>",
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