Makassar protesters raise Sulawesi separatist flag<\/p>\n
MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): Thousands of student protesters
\nhere forced Governor HZB Palaguna to witness on Monday the
\nlowering of the red-and-white national flag and the hoisting of a
\ngreen flag of an independent Sulawesi state during a rally at his
\noffice.<\/p>\n
\"The flag was raised at the Governor's office to symbolize
\nthat the local government recognizes the establishment of an
\nindependent Sulawesi state,\" Iswari Al Farisy, the spokesman for
\nMakassar Students Forum, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The green flag bears the map of Sulawesi island.<\/p>\n
The students, from various universities across the city,
\nreturned to the streets after a semblance of calm on Sunday. They
\nbegan the demonstration on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"We are not playing games nor showing off force or seeking
\npopularity. We seriously want to establish a free Sulawesi
\nstate,\" Alimuddin of the Muslim Makassar University said.<\/p>\n
In Monday's protest, the students took to the streets in a
\nmotorcade. They burned tires along the way to the gubernatorial
\noffice and staged a demonstration in front of the Kompas daily's
\nrepresentative office, accusing the paper of not showing
\nprofessionalism in its coverage.<\/p>\n
After hours of negotiations, Governor Palaguna, who initially
\nresisted a demand to attend the ceremony, stepped out of his
\noffice under tight security to see the students.<\/p>\n
The students also sang the national anthem Indonesia Raya,
\nbut changed \"Indonesia\" to \"Sulawesi\".<\/p>\n
Palaguna is scheduled to fly to Jakarta on Tuesday to meet
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid to discuss the four days of protest,
\nSCTV reported.<\/p>\n
Many have regarded the protest as an emotional outburst after
\nthe province's local hero, former president B.J. Habibie, failed
\nto run for the presidential race, but others believe the demand
\nwas a true public aspiration.<\/p>\n
A lecturer from the Jakarta-based State Academy of Islamic
\nStudies (IAIN), Azyumardi Azra, said the four days of protest in
\nthe province was a part of the accumulated problems of the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
\"The demand for a free state is only the tip of the iceberg of
\nproblems and disappointments that have never been resolved by the
\ncentral government,\" Azyumardi said.<\/p>\n
A People's Consultative Assembly legislator, Jusuf Kalla, said
\nthe students' demand for a separate state should be seriously
\ntaken into account, although many suspect that the movement was a
\nshort-lived phenomenon.<\/p>\n
\"The demand is one of the manifested public aspirations,\" said
\nbusinessman Jusuf, a Golkar legislator who represents the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
He called on the country's newly elected leaders, Abdurrahman
\nWahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri, to not immediately accuse the
\nstudents of waging treason.<\/p>\n
A local sociologist and anthropologist from the Hasanuddin
\nUniversity, Abu Hamid, suggested that the government consider
\noffering provinces wide-ranging autonomy or endorsing a federal
\nstate, which would be better than separating from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"The choice of having a federal nation is better than
\ndisintegrating this nation into several free states,\" Hamid said.<\/p>\n
Assembly Speaker Amien Rais supported Hamid's view.<\/p>\n
\"Federalism gives more room to human rights protection, fair
\nrevenue sharing and decentralization of power,\" Amien told a
\ngroup of students who claimed to represent the Eastern Indonesia
\nCommunity Forum on Monday in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, the students read out their statement to
\nget the government's attention on what they called past
\ninjustices.<\/p>\n
\"For decades in Indonesian history, Javanese leaders were
\nelected unopposed,\" regretted forum leader Abdul Hafid Parorda.<\/p>\n
\"After all these wasted opportunities, the only way to achieve
\njustice and a state of welfare in a new Indonesia is to set up a
\nfederal state or to be free.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto
\nurged the students on Monday to stop their rallies and restore
\npeace.<\/p>\n
\"There is no use to demand an independent Sulawesi or an
\nindependent Makassar,\" Wiranto told an audience of 12,000
\nmilitary and police officers in a speech at the Senayan Sports
\nComplex on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
\"The government and the Indonesian Military (TNI) reached an
\nagreement at the General Session that Indonesia will remain as
\none and that Sulawesi is to be a part of it.\"<\/p>\n
\"Personally, I understand that these demonstrations are
\nemotional expressions of current times. One should never take
\npossibly irrevocable steps based on emotion.\"<\/p>\n
Wiranto urged the nation's residents to honor the decision
\ntaken in the country's highest legislative body, and urged the
\nstudents to work at keeping the country free of unnecessary fear.
\n(27\/30\/04\/05\/emf\/ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/makassar-protesters-raise-sulawesi-separatist-flag-1447893297",
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