Jakarta safe and under control: Wiranto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto said Jakarta
\nwas safe and under control on Friday morning, only hours before
\nthe capital erupted in violence and at least four more people
\ndied in clashes between security personnel and masses of students
\nand residents.<\/p>\n
\"Jakarta is safe and under control. Please carry on your
\nactivities and duties as usual,\" he said in a media briefing at
\nthe House of Representatives (DPR)\/People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR) on Jl. Gatot Subroto, outside of which thousands of
\nstudents gathered on Thursday in their attempts to enter the
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
However, Wiranto called on residents to stay off the streets
\nto avoid trouble. He denied issuing a call for offices to close
\ndown and send employees home.<\/p>\n
He explained away the much-condemned deployment of armed
\ncivilian volunteers, who for the past two days have been engaged
\nin clashes with students protesting the Special Session of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
\"It would be better if they (the residents) cooperate with
\nsecurity personnel stationed at various strategic points across
\nthe capital to secure the situation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Wiranto criticized the student protests that have become
\nprogressively bigger and bolder since the session opened on
\nTuesday. He said the protests were held by a group of students
\nwho disregarded the law, disrespected the national dignity and
\ndismissed the interests of the majority of the people.<\/p>\n
\"They have turned the security apparatus into their enemy,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Later in the day, President B.J. Habibie appealed to student
\nprotesters to restrain from disrupting the people's daily lives.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung said on Friday
\nafternoon that the President considered demonstrations an
\ninseparable part of a democratic life, but demonstrators must
\navoid destructive acts in exercising their freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
\"(The President calls on) demonstrators not to conduct
\nactivities that could disrupt economic life, much less
\ndestruction and arson,\" Akbar said.<\/p>\n
Support<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a leader of Forum Kota -- an association of
\nstudents from various universities in Greater Jakarta which has
\nbeen leading the anti-Special Session campaign -- condemned the
\nuse of violence by security authorities.<\/p>\n
Adian, the leader, said the group vowed to bring the military
\nto court over the incident and launch a campaign to tell the
\ninternational world about the violence.<\/p>\n
\"At least 90 of our members were injured during Thursday's
\nclashes. The whereabouts of 75 members is still unknown,\" said
\nAdian, a student of the Indonesian Catholic University.<\/p>\n
Forum Kota (Forkot) disclosed that 30 motorcycles and five
\ncars belonging to their members went missing during the clashes.<\/p>\n
He made clear that the group's ultimate goal of the forum was
\nthe resignation of President Habibie and Gen. Wiranto.<\/p>\n
\"We'll stick to our demands. We will be consistent, until the
\ncurrent transitional government is changed,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The students' campaign to go to the Assembly in order to
\ndeliver their demands for political reform, though in some cases
\nending in casualties, received greater support from various
\nparties.<\/p>\n
Moslem leader Amien Rais called on the Assembly leaders to go
\nout and meet representatives of the students and allow them to
\nair their demands.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe it will reduce the tension. Just like Islam teaches,
\nthat if you shake hands, peace will prevail,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Former finance minister Mar'ie Muhammad pointed out that from
\nthe beginning students have been in the forefront of the push for
\nreform. \"It has been a costly campaign, including those who have
\nbeen injured,\" he said in a media briefing. \"The current Special
\nSession would not have achieved what they have so far, had it not
\nbeen for the students' pressure.\"<\/p>\n
\"I strongly protest the shooting of unarmed students. Do they
\nwho fired the shots know what a human life is worth? How dare
\nthey use weapons just like that?\"<\/p>\n
Supporting the students were alumni of Brawijaya University in
\nthe East Java town of Malang, and Sepuluh November Institute of
\nTechnology in Surabaya. In a statement, the group, calling
\nthemselves Tebet Discussion Forum, said: \"We are consistently
\nsupporting the students' moral movement to bring about total
\nreform, which is also championed by other elements of the
\nnation....\"<\/p>\n
\"We regret the Armed Forces' repressive actions in dealing
\nwith students' peaceful demonstrations in their demand for
\nAssembly decrees which are in line with the people's
\naspirations.\"<\/p>\n
Another group, Salemba Forum of University of Indonesia,
\nissued a statement condemning the repressive actions of the
\nmilitary, and the deployment of the armed volunteers which led to
\n\"civil war\".<\/p>\n
An association of staff lecturers at the University of
\nIndonesia issued a statement, signed by some prominent
\nprofessors, supporting the students' campaign.<\/p>\n
\"The staff lecturers consistently support... the students in
\ntheir peaceful campaign for true democracy,\" they said. \"We
\ncondemn the security personnel's violent handling of the
\nstudents' actions.\"<\/p>\n
They added, \"We demand that the government take firm actions
\nagainst armed civilian security units so the people can
\npeacefully air their opinions.\" Among the signatories were
\nlawyers T. Mulya Lubis and Kartini Sjahrir. (team)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jakarta-safe-and-under-control-wiranto-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}