Students march to Soeharto's home<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Some 3,000 students marched through the capital
\non Thursday afternoon in the second attempt this week to protest
\noutside the residence of former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
But the march was stopped by the military one kilometer from
\nSoeharto's residence in the upscale Menteng area at about 3 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"We are not afraid of your weapons. Our weapon is the truth,\"
\nread a banner in the front row of the rally as they came up
\nagainst some 200 troops and marines blocking the way.<\/p>\n
The march came shortly after President B.J. Habibie, under
\nfire for the violent handling of demonstrations last week which
\nleft 15 dead, appealed for unity to prevent the country
\ndescending into chaos.<\/p>\n
The students linked arms to prevent nonstudents from
\ninfiltrating their ranks. They sat down on Jl. Diponegoro,
\nsinging and chanting, as they negotiated their way through the
\nsecurity cordon. Helicopters circled overhead.<\/p>\n
A smaller group of some 40 students on Monday was called off
\nafter they advance was blocked by troops at the same spot.<\/p>\n
Students blame Soeharto, who was forced to resign amid
\nwidespread demonstrations in May, for the country's troubles and
\nare demanding that he be put on trial.<\/p>\n
They have also charged that the 77-year-old former leader
\ncontinues to pull strings behind the scenes, and has been behind
\nefforts to foil the country's reform drive.<\/p>\n
Noted Australia-based scholar Arief Budiman, who is visiting
\nhere, expressed support through his presence at the march.<\/p>\n
Efforts to stop the students, the former 1960s student
\nactivist said, \"could pose more trouble,\" because \"student
\ndemonstrations are now needed to keep a check on President B.J.
\nHabibie in case he goes off the rails (of the reform agenda).\"<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, during a rally involving hundreds of
\nstudents, flowers were showered down from the Semanggi cloverleaf
\nnear the site where students were shot at last Friday.<\/p>\n
Women's organizations Solidaritas Perempuan (Women's
\nSolidarity) and Suara Ibu Peduli (Voice of Concerned Mothers)
\nalso staged peaceful rallies at the nearby Atma Jaya University
\nto condemn the military brutality.<\/p>\n
\"Mothers' love was smashed by bullets,\" one of their many
\nposters reads. They presented their statement to Atma Jaya rector
\nThomas Suyatno, which demanded Habibie's accountability, bringing
\nMinister of Defense and Security\/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander
\nGen. Wiranto to trial and an end to ABRI's dual role.<\/p>\n
In the West Sumatra capital of Padang hundreds of students
\noccupied the Tabing airport to address the Minister of
\nAgriculture Soleh Solahuddin who was to return to Jakarta. They
\nsurrounded him on his arrival at 4:30 p.m. Police tried to stop
\nthem but finally Soleh and Governor Muchlis Ibrahim decided to
\ntalk to them. They asked the minister to convey their demands to
\nend ABRI's dual role and Wiranto's resignation.<\/p>\n
In Manado, North Sulawesi, Antara reported that police and
\nmilitary personnel flushed out about 100 students from the
\nprovincial legislature on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n
Students took over the legislature on Monday, repeating
\nprotests to end ABRI's sociopolitical role and also demand that
\nSoeharto be brought to trial for alleged corrupt practices and
\nhuman rights abuses during his 32-year rule.<\/p>\n
The students were evicted after the authorities failed to
\npersuade them to leave. There were no reports of injuries.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, thousands of students marched from the Sanata
\nDharma University to Gadjah Mada University, two kilometers away,
\nalso to protest ABRI's dual function. They also mourned the
\nvictims in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Stop killing your own nation,\" one banner read.<\/p>\n
Thousands of members of Student Solidarity for People's
\nSovereignty, marching along Jl. Malioboro, demanded Wiranto's
\nresignation.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI's dual function is out of date,\" another banner said.
\nStreet singers and children also joined the protest.<\/p>\n
The students then marched to the north square of the Sultan's
\npalace and held a free-speech forum.<\/p>\n
At the local police headquarters, some 500 students from the
\nUniversity of National Development lowered the flag to half mast.<\/p>\n
Students in the thousands also staged protests against ABRI in
\nthe North Sumatra capital of Medan, where they were joined by
\nrepresentatives of workers, drivers and residents living around
\nPT Inti Indorayon Utama in North Tapanuli.<\/p>\n
In the Central Java town of Purwokerto students of the
\nAssociation of Moslem Students marched to the regency office. One
\nposter read \"We reject accusations of treason,\" in reference to
\nongoing questioning of elderly activists in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Antara quoted the Indonesian Ulemas Council appeal
\nfor Moslems across the country to offer prayers for the deceased
\nvictims of the Semanggi tragedy after the Friday prayers. (team)<\/p>",
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