Students rally to deny communist accusations<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A huge number of students staged massive rallies
\nin Jakarta on Wednesday, apparently to reject accusations leveled
\nby various parties that their actions were being exploited by
\nthose who followed the communist ideology.<\/p>\n
\"We want to announce here that our actions are not being
\nexploited by communism,\" Ardian, an action coordinator from the
\nIndonesian Christian University, said.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Christian University students were among around
\n1,000 members of the Forum Kota, an association of students from
\n37 universities in Greater Jakarta, who rallied in front of the
\nHouse of Representatives (DPR) on Jl. Gatot Subroto in Central
\nJakarta. During the rally the students demanded a reduction in
\nthe price of basic commodities.<\/p>\n
\"We want the government to take drastic measures to lower the
\nprice of basic foods because the people are under severe strain,\"
\nArdian was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
He said the government under President B.J. Habibie could go
\non for no longer and should hand over power to a transitional
\ncommittee consisting of \"clean\" figures.<\/p>\n
About six hundred members of the security forces, including
\narmed soldiers and police officers, formed a heavy cordon outside
\nthe building to prevent students from approaching the main gate.<\/p>\n
The rally created heavy traffic jams when security officers
\nblocked the main road and tollway in front of the House and
\ndiverted traffic onto the nearby Jl. Gerbang Pemuda.<\/p>\n
The students later demonstrated on the tollway, waving
\nnational flags and distributing leaflets entitled \"Transitional
\nPower for Economic Recovery\" to passing vehicles.<\/p>\n
The leaflets said that the students rejected the extraordinary
\nsession scheduled to be held by the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) in November.<\/p>\n
The students also invited people to support their plan to
\nestablish the Indonesian People's Committee (KRI) as a
\ntransitional government that would prepare for the general
\nelection.<\/p>\n
They held up placards reading: \"Reject Habibie, Bring Soeharto
\nto Court\", \"Habibie: Soeharto's Puppet\", \"Extraordinary Session =
\nIdiot Episode\", \"Lower the Prices now\", \"Bring back People's
\nSovereignty\", \"Return ABRI (the Armed Forces)'s role as soldiers
\nof the people\" and \"Forum Kota is not Communist but a Group of
\nVirtuous Students\".<\/p>\n
After about four hours of making speeches and singing on the
\nroad, the students dispersed peacefully and pledged to return
\nuntil their demands were met.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, around 100 other people staged a protest on the
\nUniversity of Indonesia's central campus on Wednesday to demand
\nlower prices of basic commodities.<\/p>\n
Members of the university's alumni association along with a
\nnumber of alumni from other universities called on the government
\nto take the necessary measures to cope with the impending food
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
\"Just tell people the truth if the government really does not
\nhave money to buy food,\" Meilono Siswondo, a representative of
\nthe Bandung Institute of Technology, said.<\/p>\n
Sri Edi Swasono, a University of Indonesia lecturer, told the
\ncrowd that Wednesday's protest was a preliminary step toward
\nconsolidating campuses throughout the country and launching a
\npeaceful struggle for thorough reform.<\/p>\n
The two hour protest ended without disruption. Dozens of riot
\npolice stood guard outside the campus.<\/p>\n
The University of Indonesia's student senate in Depok also
\nissued its own stance.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that the students remain independent in playing their
\nrole as a major pressure group and that they convey their demands
\nmaturely and with the people's welfare in mind. They must guard
\nagainst anarchist influences,\" the senate said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\"We also remind students to continue with their struggle
\nconsistently and on moral and intellectual grounds alone,\" the
\nstatement said.<\/p>\n
A 65-year-old man making his way along Jl. Gatot Subroto
\ntoward Slipi in West Jakarta said that he had no objection to the
\nstudents' rally.<\/p>\n
Dodi, a 27-year-old lawyer who missed his flight to Manado in
\nNorth Sulawesi on Wednesday afternoon as a result of the
\ndemonstration, said he still supported the student movement.
\n(byg\/ivy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-rally-to-deny-communist-accusations-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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