PDI and military reach agreement on street rallies<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The embattled executive board of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) and the Jakarta military command agreed
\nyesterday that, following Thursday's bloody clash in the capital,
\nno more violence would be perpetrated by either side.<\/p>\n
PDI deputy secretary-general Haryanto Taslam said at a press
\nconference yesterday evening that a delegation of seven party
\nexecutives met with the chief of the Jakarta Military Command,
\nMaj. Gen. Sutiyoso, at military headquarters in the morning.<\/p>\n
\"Considering the large number of victims in the clash, we have
\nboth agreed that it will never happen again,\" Haryanto said.<\/p>\n
Thousands of Megawati's supporters marched through Central
\nJakarta on Thursday, demanding that a rebel congress in Medan,
\nNorth Sumatra, be halted. It culminated in a clash with security
\nforces. The incident left more than 100 people injured.<\/p>\n
Haryanto said the PDI delegation gave a guarantee that there
\nwould be no more marching by Megawati's supporters. \"However, we
\ncan continue holding activities at the party's headquarters,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The other members of the delegation included deputy chairmen
\nSoetardjo Soerjogoeritno and I Gusti Ngurah Sara.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, Haryanto said, Sutiyoso agreed to act as
\nmediator and deliver the board's opposition to the congress to
\ncertain government officials.<\/p>\n
As quoted by Haryanto, Sutiyoso also confirmed that no PDI
\nmembers and supporters would be prohibited from entering the
\nparty's headquarters, as it remains the office of the legitimate
\nleadership under Megawati.<\/p>\n
\"We also told Sutiyoso that Megawati's leadership would end in
\n1998 and any congress held before then is illegal,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The central board claimed yesterday that 73 of its supporters
\nwere injured in the clash, five others are still hospitalized and
\n48 other supporters were being detained at the Jakarta Police
\ndetention center.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, the board also said that one supporter died in
\nthe clash. Yesterday, however, Haryanto said the board had not
\nreceived an official report on the person who reportedly died.<\/p>\n
The military has said it knew of no civilian casualties but
\nthat stone-throwing demonstrators injured about 50 soldiers.<\/p>\n
Separately yesterday, the embattled party chief, Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, accused the government of trying to discredit her
\nand her party. She vowed to continue to head the party and fight
\nfor democracy.<\/p>\n
\"I am still the democratically elected chairwoman of PDI, who
\ncontinues to receive the people's support and that of PDI
\nchapters throughout Indonesia,\" Megawati said in a statement read
\nout by party executive Kwik Kian Gie.<\/p>\n
She pledged that as PDI leader she would continue to fight for
\ndemocracy and uphold people's sovereignty.<\/p>\n
She said that the government's attempt to stifle the people's
\ndemocratic aspirations would cause unrest, which will be very
\ndisruptive of law and order.<\/p>\n
Megawati also accused the government of implanting agent
\nprovocateurs among the mass of demonstrators on Thursday. These
\nagents, she said, initiated the stone-throwing at the troops
\nwhich led to the violent clash.<\/p>\n
\"The government has used all the powers and means at its
\ndisposal to try to discredit any and all pro-democratic
\nsupporters,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Megawati said the government-sanctioned campaign to unseat her
\nhas been characterized by \"a multiplicity of illegal and
\nunconstitutional acts\".<\/p>\n
She cited the active participation of high ranking government
\nofficials and some members of the military in helping to plan and
\nexecute the campaign against her.<\/p>\n
She repeated the party's belief that it could garner up to 85
\npercent of the vote in a free and fair election. She also called
\nfor a joint domestic and international commission to assess and
\nmonitor elections in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The commission should include members of the UN Commission on
\nHuman Rights, the Indonesian Commission on Human Rights, and
\nother human rights watchdogs, Megawati said. (imn\/jun\/20\/swe\/anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pdi-and-military-reach-agreement-on-street-rallies-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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