Students prepare for new campaign<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A union of dozens of student groups said on
\nFriday that they would appeal to the general public to join in
\ntheir demands for a transitional government, which they hoped
\nwould transform the nation into a \"New Indonesia\".<\/p>\n
Eleven student groups, grouped under the Committee of United
\nStudents (KMB), said they had already organized a political
\neducation program for the general public and set up campus
\ncommand posts to disseminate their ideas on the importance of a
\ndemocratic government for carrying out reforms.<\/p>\n
The students told a press conference they would organize
\nstreet rallies to communicate their ideas and bring more people
\nto their cause. The students said they had found that this tactic
\nwas the most effective way to get their message across.<\/p>\n
The student representatives, speaking at the press meeting at
\nthe University of Indonesia's campus in Salemba, Central Jakarta,
\nincluded members from: the Big Family of the University of
\nIndonesia (KB-UI), the Jakarta Front, the Communication Forum of
\nJakarta Student Senates (FKSMJ), the City Forum (Forkot), the
\nIndependent Front of Gunadarma University Students (FIMA), the
\nCollective Forum (Forbes), the Committee of Students and People
\nfor Democracy (Komrad), the Trisakti Students Action Committee
\n(KAMTRI), the Student Action for People's Struggle (Ampera) and
\nthe Bogor Institute of Agriculture's Student Movement (Gema-IPB).<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian people must fight for their sovereignty. We
\nall have the same goal: fundamental change in this country. We
\nembrace those who want to pursue the changes which have failed to
\nbe realized by the (former president) Soeharto and (President)
\nHabibie government,\" said Roy Tanda Anugerah of KB-UI.<\/p>\n
\"We will raise (the public's) awareness of politics and
\ndemocracy and let them do the fighting,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mohammad Sofyan, known as Ian, from Komrad, said that in order
\nto fight for the demands, people should start a revolution.<\/p>\n
\"To pave the way for a revolution, we will call on students
\nnationwide to establish command posts to educate the people on
\npolitics. This is the most important thing, even though it will
\ntake time,\" Ian said.<\/p>\n
He said that the students and the people would still need to
\ntake to the streets to voice their aspirations.<\/p>\n
\"If we want to stage street rallies, we will take into account
\nthe objective situation. We're still sure that mass rallies are
\nthe most effective method for unarmed civilians,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The students expressed optimism in their plans, pointing to
\nthe success of last year's student movements which helped topple
\nSoeharto's government.<\/p>\n
They said that student groups, such as KB-UI and students from
\nthe National Institute of Science and Technology (ISTN), had set
\nup several command posts for political training courses.<\/p>\n
During the planned sessions, they said, students and others
\nwould discuss and share their knowledge of general politics and
\nthe country's current political issues.<\/p>\n
The students also insisted that Habibie step down to give way
\nto a democratic transitional government, which would take his
\nplace to prepare for a credible general election.<\/p>\n
The transitional government, the students said, would also
\nbring Soeharto and his cronies, including Habibie, to trial and
\nrevoke the Armed Forces' political powers.<\/p>\n
They said that they would not reject a general election if it
\nwas carried out by this transitional government.<\/p>\n
\"We will reject an election which is organized by the Habibie
\ngovernment,\" said Eli Salomo from Forkot.<\/p>\n
Indra Parindrianto of FKSMJ said the students had not set a
\ndeadline for carrying out what he called the \"people's power\"
\nmovement.<\/p>\n
\"We do not want to be confined by the general election
\nschedule set by the current regime. We will proceed with our
\ndemand to establish a transitional government,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djadja
\nSuparman called on people to cooperate to make the general
\nelection successful.<\/p>\n
\"Let's think that the general election is carried out for the
\nnation's interest, so how do we comply with the people's wishes?
\n-- a fair and free election which is run smoothly and
\npeacefully,\" he said after a meeting with 200 women from the
\nAttahiriyah Islamic Study Group. (ivy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-prepare-for-new-campaign-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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