Students observe Semanggi tragedy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 1,000 students from various
\nuniversities gathered at the Atma Jaya University campus on Jl.
\nSudirman in Central Jakarta on Saturday, commemorating the Nov.
\n13 shooting incident at the nearby Semanggi cloverleaf, which
\nkilled 14 people including eight university students.<\/p>\n
Saturday's commemoration was part of a three-day program,
\norganized by the Presidium of the Atma Jaya University students
\nin cooperation with Visi Mahasiswa tabloid, which started on
\nThursday. Other programs included a photo exhibition of last
\nyear's violence and a seminar on politics.<\/p>\n
Students, in groups, poured onto the university compound
\nlocated at the tip of the city's main thoroughfare Jl. Sudirman
\nfrom midday on Saturday and traveled either by bus or by marching
\nfrom their own campuses. They carried their student groupings'
\nflags, but no posters and placards were seen.<\/p>\n
The committee established a makeshift stage in the university
\ncompound, where students from various groupings sang songs and
\nread poems, mostly criticizing the military's violence during
\nlast year's incident. Saturday's commemoration started at 4 p.m,
\nimmediately after heavy rainfalls which had showered the city for
\nthree hours stopped.<\/p>\n
Harry Rusli, a noted musician, contributed to the
\ncommemoration by reading a poem urging the government and
\nmilitary police to soon announce the results of the investigation
\ninto the incident and to bring the responsible parties to court.<\/p>\n
"Where is the justice after one year has passed since the
\nshooting incident!" he shouted, winning applause from the
\nstudents.<\/p>\n
The shooting occurred when thousands of students staged
\nrallies in front of Atma Jaya University protesting against the
\nSpecial Session of the People's Consultative Assembly from Nov.
\n10 to 13, 1998. They clashed with security personnel blocking
\ntheir way to the legislative compound in Senayan, about 300
\nmeters west of the cloverleaf.<\/p>\n
The students demanded the government and the military police
\nreveal the truth behind the incident and sentence the parties
\nresponsible for the killing of the protesters.<\/p>\n
"The real human tragedy occurred today, as no satisfying
\nresults of the investigation have been revealed so far," said a
\nstatement, read by Hengky, an activist of Famred.<\/p>\n
The students also demanded the government disclose the
\ninvestigation results on human atrocities in Aceh and other
\nprovinces. (asa\/01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-observe-semanggi-tragedy-1447893297",
"image": ""
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