Students rally at Merdeka Palace<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): About 2,000 Trisakti University students broke
\nthrough a tight military cordon across from the Merdeka Palace on
\nWednesday, only hours after President B.J. Habibie reproached
\nthem for taking to the streets.<\/p>\n
Unlike in many of the previous student rallies, the soldiers
\nappeared bewildered and unprepared for the mass congregated on
\nJl. Medan Merdeka Utara, located exactly in front of the compound
\nof Habibie's office in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Some soldiers scattered in confusion.<\/p>\n
\"This is nuts. We did not expect the crowd to be this huge,\"
\none of them said.<\/p>\n
\"We first heard that these students had just finished their
\nprotest at the Attorney General's Office (in South Jakarta) at
\nabout 2 p.m.\"<\/p>\n
Arriving at 3:15 p.m. in a convoy of about 20 buses and dozens
\nof cars and motorbikes, the students -- attired in their
\nrespective school jackets -- demanded that Habibie's
\nadministration bring former president Soeharto to trial.<\/p>\n
Their leaders also urged the government to take responsibility
\nfor disturbances during the recent wave of student protests.<\/p>\n
Students sang, danced and waved flags and banners, some
\nreading \"Stop Military Violence\", \"We're Not Shooting Targets\"
\nand \"Hang Soeharto\" replete with caricatures of the former
\nleader.<\/p>\n
At about 4:30 p.m., 17 representatives of the students were
\nreceived by Habibie's military secretary, Air Vice Marshall Budhy
\nSantoso, Presidential Guard Commander Maj. Gen. Suwandi and
\nDeputy Cabinet Secretary Erman Rajaguguk at the State
\nSecretariat.<\/p>\n
After the meeting, Gunawan, one of the group's leaders, told
\nthe media: \"We have handed over our statement to them. We also
\ntold them that we want the trial process of Soeharto to be
\nstarted soon, in the next three days at the latest.\"<\/p>\n
Gunawan quoted Erman as saying that \"there will be a guarantee
\nfrom Pak Habibie about Pak Harto's trial\".<\/p>\n
Jl. Constitution<\/p>\n
Earlier, President Habibie chided the students for protesting
\non the streets, saying they should use constitutional means.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot pursue reforms from the streets. The road we must
\ntake is the constitutional way,\" Habibie said in off-the cuff
\nremarks after opening the congress of the Indonesian Successors
\nStruggle Association (KPPRI) at Bina Graha presidential office.<\/p>\n
\"Both are through avenues -- one Jl. Thamrin and the other Jl.
\nConstitution,\" said Habibie. The main thoroughfare of Jl. Thamrin
\nhas been the site of almost daily student protests.<\/p>\n
Habibie defended the legitimacy of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly, saying it was the result of a valid general election
\nparticipated in by 94 percent of eligible voters.<\/p>\n
In the United States, only 52 percent of the people voted for
\nthe president, he pointed out.<\/p>\n
\"Even if some people claimed that the 1997 election was
\ndishonest -- although I don't believe that since all parties
\nsigned the election result -- and if we say that 10 percent of
\nthe votes were rigged, that leaves 84 percent of the people who
\nvoted ... If we take 30 percent away, that still leaves 64
\npercent, far more than in the United States.<\/p>\n
\"Don't those people who were elected have a greater claim to
\nlegitimacy than those determined from Jl. Thamrin?\"<\/p>\n
Habibie's own presidency has been dogged by questions of
\nlegitimacy.<\/p>\n
Critics point out that Soeharto was forced to resign amid
\nstrong protests by students questioning the legitimacy of the
\nentire political system that the autocrat built to sustain his
\npower for 32 years.<\/p>\n
Two hours before reaching the palace, the Trisakti students
\nheld a short protest at the Attorney General's Office to press
\nhome their demand for a probe into Soeharto's wealth.<\/p>\n
The city also witnessed other groups of students voicing the
\nsame demand at several spots, including the Hotel Indonesia
\ntraffic circle, the General Election Institution office, the area
\nnear the People's Consultative Assembly, all in Central Jakarta;
\nIbnu Chaldun University on Jl. Pemuda in East Jakarta; and Blok
\nM Plaza in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Two students were reportedly injured at the Manggala Wanabakti
\nbuilding near the Assembly complex.<\/p>\n
Separately, about 130 married soldiers deployed at the
\nSuropati park near Soeharto's house had a tearful reunion with
\ntheir wives and children at the park on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\"I miss him,\" said three-year-old Yondra, pointing to his
\nfather, Maj. Agus Sutomo, the commander in charge of security at
\nMenteng, Gondangdia, Kebon Sirih and Cikini subdistricts.
\n(edt\/prb\/emb\/ivy)<\/p>",
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