Protesters greet Gus Dur in Kendari<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of protesters in the Southeast
\nSulawesi provincial capital Kendari caused a two-hour cut in
\nelectricity and telephone services on Thursday, in a show of
\ndiscontent at President Abdurrahman Wahid's visit.<\/p>\n
Security forces kept protesters about one kilometer from
\nWolter Monginsidi Airport as the presidential entourage touched
\ndown, Antara reported. A policeman was injured in the standoff,
\nthe news agency added.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators, most of whom were students, then made their
\nway to the city's main power station in a convoy of motorcycles
\nand cars.<\/p>\n
They forced workers their to cut the Kendari power supply for
\ntwo hours.<\/p>\n
They then proceeded to the telecommunications office and
\nforced operators to cut long-distance and international telephone
\nconnections.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, who is fighting for his political survival, was
\non a one-day visit to Kendari to take part in a tree planting
\nceremony.<\/p>\n
The Kendari visit was originally scheduled for early last
\nweek, but the trip was canceled at the last minute without
\nexplanation. The President canceled two other out-of-town trips
\nlast week.<\/p>\n
In a related development, the police in Kendari announced
\nlater on Thursday that a local legislator was being questioned in
\nconnection with the vandalism of a photograph of Abdurrahman at
\nthe provincial council building earlier in the week.<\/p>\n
The incident took place on Monday when hundreds of students
\noccupied the council building to protest the President's planned
\nvisit to Kendari.<\/p>\n
The students removed the President's photograph from the wall
\nand allegedly forced provincial council deputy speaker Andrey
\nJufri to burn the picture.<\/p>\n
Andrey, who was present to attempt to calm the protesters, is
\na member of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Antara said.<\/p>\n
Southeast Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Djumain Arief was
\nquoted by the news agency as saying on Thursday that the protests
\nhad been "forgiven" by the President.<\/p>\n
Sulawesi is a stronghold of the Golkar Party.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives has censured the President twice
\nthis year, opening the way for his possible impeachment at a
\nspecial session of the People's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
Accompanying the President on Thursday were First Lady Sinta
\nNuriyah Abdurrahman, State Minister of Forestry Marzuki Usman and
\nSoutheast Sulawesi Governor La Ode Kaimoeddin. (byg) Photo on
\nPage 2<\/p>",
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