Massive protests expected at House on Thursday<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of people, supporters and opponents of
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid, are almost certain to flock to the
\nHouse of Representatives building on Thursday when the House
\nplenary session is scheduled to discuss two scandals linked to
\nthe President.<\/p>\n
Among them are at least 5,000 students from various
\nuniversities in Java, including the University of Indonesia (UI),
\nTrisakti University and the Bandung Institute of Technology.<\/p>\n
\"We will come in the same numbers as on Monday. It won't be
\nless,\" the president of Trisakti Students' Union, Andre Roseade,
\ntold The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Andre said groups of students from outside Jakarta were
\nstaying at the Salemba campus of UI in Central Jakarta, and were
\nready to march on the House building.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, hundreds of students staged a rally at the
\ncampus, demanding the cleansing of the old regime, the upholding
\nof the reform vision and the preemption of a new authoritarian
\nregime.<\/p>\n
They placed more emphasis in their demands on the cleaning up
\nof the old regime, amid accusations by UI alumni that they were
\nbeing \"paid\" by a certain group to urge the President to resign.<\/p>\n
Former alumni chairman Hariyadi Dharmawan earlier demanded the
\neradication of the new order regime and the banning of the Golkar
\nParty as a symbol of that regime.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, National Awakening Party (PKB) deputy secretary
\ngeneral Chotibul Umam Wiranu said that he could not guarantee
\nthat Abdurrahman's supporters would not resort to physical force
\nto keep him as president.<\/p>\n
\"We live in a paternalistic culture. If something happens to
\ntheir leader, we cannot stop them from expressing their
\ndiscontent in their own way. This can be very dangerous,\"
\nChotibul told journalists on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He cited that in Pekalongan, Central Java, there had been a
\nsmall clash between those in favor of and those against
\nAbdurrahman. Such incidents could happen again in the future if
\nthe grass roots thought that various parties were trying to
\noverthrow Abdurrahman, he said.<\/p>\n
Chotibul underlined that the PKB had made many attempts to
\nencourage the President's supporters to stay out of political
\ncontroversies, but if the special committee tried to force its
\nway, then people would flood the capital.<\/p>\n
Police<\/p>\n
Separately, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf
\nsaid that at least 1,100 security personnel were already deployed
\nin and around the MPR\/DPR complex in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
They consisted of 400 officers from the National Police's
\nelite mobile brigade (Brimob), 400 officers from the Jakarta
\nPolice and 300 soldiers.<\/p>\n
\"If the need arises, we'll increase the number of officers in
\nthe area,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The police are prepared to deploy 100 police negotiators in
\nthe field on Thursday, to face rowdy demonstrators.<\/p>\n
\"Our attitude will be to negotiate without resorting to the
\nuse of force. If the protesters persist and use any kind of
\nweapon to attack us, we will take action,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, waves of anti-Abdurrahman protests continued on
\nWednesday in several cities.<\/p>\n
In the West Sumatra capital of Padang, scores of students from
\nBung Hatta University reiterated their demands for an independent
\nSumatra and Gus Dur's prompt resignation..<\/p>\n
Carrying mock gallows and an effigy of the President, the
\nprotesters yelled \"Independent Sumatra\" and \"Gus Dur resign\".<\/p>\n
The demonstrators, led by the secretary of the student senate,
\nYarsi Sonif, then staged a parody of a people's court to try (the
\neffigy of) Gus Dur. The trial ended with Gus Dur in the gallows.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, violence almost broke out when some 200 anti-
\nAbdurrahman demonstrators tried to break through a police
\nbarricade barring them from entering the South Sulawesi
\nlegislative council building.<\/p>\n
The students grew angry after Comr. Marjuki, who was in
\ncommand of the police at the council compound, said that only 25
\nstudents were allowed to meet with legislators.<\/p>\n
The officers tried to stop the students with their batons. The
\npeak of the protest was when the students of the University of
\n'45 burned a bier with a chair (symbolizing the presidential
\nseat) placed on top of it. A large picture of the President was
\nalso set ablaze. \"Makassar students will continue demonstrating
\nuntil Gus Dur quits and the birth of the second reform movement
\nis brought about,\" spokesman for the students Al Mandari
\nasserted.<\/p>\n
He said that another large protest would take place on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
In Bogor, hundreds of students from the Bogor Agricultural
\nInstitute (IPB), Pakuan University and Juanda University,
\nconverged at the main gate of the Presidential Palace demanding
\nthat Gus Dur step down immediately. They also lashed out at the
\npolitical elite for using violence and anarchy to achieve their
\ngoals.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur must quit voluntarily if he is found guilty in the
\nBulog and Brunei scandals,\" a student said in a speech.<\/p>\n
A large group of police officers managed to prevent the
\nstudents from entering the palace.<\/p>\n
The students also availed of Wednesday's demonstration to
\ndiscuss their plan \"to occupy\" the House in Jakarta on Thursday.<\/p>\n
In the East Java capital of Surabaya, anti- and pro-
\nAbdurrahman groups unexpectedly met at the provincial legislature
\non Wednesday. No clashes were reported.<\/p>\n
Some 200 people, claiming to be from the People's Group for
\nTotal Reform and Anti-New Order, moved from the Bungkul Park,
\nwhich is close to the Nahdlatul Ulama head office on Jl. Raya
\nDarmo, to the legislative council.<\/p>\n
Yelling anti-New Order slogans, the protesters criticized
\nAmien Rais, speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly who is
\nknown as the staunch critic of Gus Dur.<\/p>\n
After they had spent about one hour \"occupying\" the
\nlegislative council grounds, another group consisting of around
\n200 students from various universities arrived at the scene to
\nstage a protest against Gus Dur.<\/p>\n
\"We ask the DPR (the House) to stick to the reform movement's
\ngoals; creating clean and good governance,\" Debi, the students
\ncoordinator, said.<\/p>\n
About 200 riot police kept a close watch on the demonstrators
\nclosely. (team)<\/p>",
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