Student groups trade slurs on planned rally<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Student groups traded accusations on Saturday of
\nbeing used by the political elite ahead of the massive
\nantigovernment rally planned on Monday.<\/p>\n
The Forum for Action of Reform and Democracy (Famred) and the
\nCity Forum (Forkot), two student groups in Jakarta, accused
\nStudent Executive Boards (BEM) of several universities in Java
\nand Sumatra of being used by the political elite as a political
\nvehicle to topple President Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
\"BEM's antigovernment demonstrations and its political support
\nfor the present move to topple the President is strong evidence
\nthat the students have been used by certain groups in the
\npolitical elite to fight for their interests,\" said Adian
\nNapitupulu, chairman of Forkot, in a discussion on student'
\nmovements here.<\/p>\n
Conversely, Sigit Adi Prasetya, chairman of ITB's BEM, accused
\nFamred and Forkot of being behind the President because they
\ndeclined to fight against the rampant corruption in the present
\nregime.<\/p>\n
\"If they are consistent with the moral movement of the
\nstudents they should also oppose the corrupt government,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Napitupulu said the antigovernment movement launched by
\nstudents from the University of Indonesia, Bogor Institute of
\nAgriculture (IPB), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), the
\nGadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta and many private
\nuniversities and institutes has been contaminated by vested
\ninterests of the political elite.<\/p>\n
\"Students grouped in the Student Executive Board should fight
\nfor truth and justice and take the people's side, instead of the
\npolitical elite,\" he said, citing that many students from Forkot
\nhave been jailed and suffered injuries in fighting for the
\npeoples' interests, especially justice seekers, workers and the
\npoor.<\/p>\n
Famred concurred, saying that the Golkar Party, the main
\nsupporter of the former New Order regime, should be held
\nresponsible for the political instability, the stagnant reform
\nand the absence of the supremacy of the law.<\/p>\n
\"We call on all citizens to set up a revolutionary court to
\ndissolve Golkar and try its figures who committed numerous sins
\nduring the New Order era,\" Anton, chairman of Famred, said in the
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
Adian and Anton opposed BEM's plan for a mass rally because
\nsuch an action would deepen the divide among students.<\/p>\n
\"The mass demonstration will benefit Amien Rais and his group
\nand create a deep divide between the students and the people and
\nsuch action will not win the support of the public,\" said Adian.<\/p>\n
Yet, Taufik Riyadi, chairman of University of Indonesia's BEM,
\ninsisted that BEMs would go ahead with their planned rally on
\nMonday. He claimed around 200,000 students would stage a
\ndemonstration near the presidential palace.<\/p>\n
BEMs will also take advantage of the rally to protest against
\nthe government's plan to gradually increase fuel prices, starting
\nApril 1. Details of the price hike will be announced on Monday.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the planned demonstration has sparked mixed
\nreactions.<\/p>\n
Sukadi, a bus driver of PPD bus company told The Jakarta Post
\nthat all drivers from the company support the students' call to
\noppose the government's plan to increase the fuel price.<\/p>\n
\"We have been told to park all buses from our 14 depots in
\nfront of the office of Ministry of Transportation and
\nTelecommunications on Jl. Merdeka Barat on Monday,\" Sukadi said.<\/p>\n
Anisah, a state senior high school student at Bukit Duri,
\nManggarai district, South Jakarta said students at her school
\nwould join the rally.<\/p>\n
Zulkarnaen, a teacher at a private high school in Jatinegara,
\nEast Jakarta, also supported the rally.<\/p>\n
\"I cried and thanked God when Gus Dur was elected president,
\nbut months later my feelings changed toward him since he could
\nnot control his statements,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Chairman of Indonesian Islamic Boarding School Cooperative
\nBody (BKS-PP) KH Cholil Ridwan also supported the students'
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
\"As long as it is without violence, I support them,\" he told
\nthe Post.<\/p>\n
Labor activist Muchtar Pakpahan, however, called upon workers
\non Friday to shun the students' call to strike because this would
\ncrumble the industry, which would make the workers themselves
\nsuffer. (rms\/01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/student-groups-trade-slurs-on-planned-rally-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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