Students renew call for trial of Soeharto<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta<\/p>\n
Students and other people marked the sixth anniversary of the
\nfall of Soeharto by staging rallies in several cities on Friday,
\ndemanding that the reform movement be put back on track while
\ninsisting on the trial of the former president.<\/p>\n
Several big cities, including Jakarta, Bandung in West Java,
\nSemarang in Central Java, Denpasar in Bali, Medan in North
\nSumatra and Palu in Central Sulawesi saw their students and
\npeople marching on the streets to commemorate Soeharto's
\nresignation six years ago. His resignation followed riots in a
\nnumber of cities after the shooting of students in Jakarta on May
\n12, 1998, which sparked protests and the end of the New Order
\nregime.<\/p>\n
The demands raised in 1998 marking Soeharto's fall included
\nthat all alleged violators of human rights and corruptors be
\nbrought to trial and the end of militarism.<\/p>\n
The protests saw further expression of the rejection of
\nmilitarism on Friday, following similar protests in the past few
\nmonths ahead of the July 5 presidential election in which two
\ncandidates are retired generals -- former military chief Gen.
\n(ret) Wiranto and former minister of social and political
\naffairs, Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
It remained a question, however, how the demonstrations could
\nagain lead to a force as united as the 1998 student' protests
\nthat led to Soeharto's fall from power. Students have said their
\nrole has not been followed up in a meaningful manner by other
\ncivilian groups and those in the government. Analysts have
\npointed to even worse corruption but optimists have referred to
\nthe progress made such as the free elections.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, because of a strong police presence, at least 200
\nstudents from the May Alliance Movement were prevented from
\nentering Soeharto's residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.
\nThe march stopped at Jl. Teuku Umar, around 150 meters from his
\nhouse.<\/p>\n
During the rally, the students delivered speeches demanding
\nthat Soeharto be brought to court. At 6 p.m. the students left
\nafter burning a coffin symbolizing the death of democracy.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of students also marched along the capital's main
\nthoroughfares of Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Jl. Jend. Sudirman, and Jl.
\nJend. Gatot Soebroto.<\/p>\n
Demonstrations involving the Indonesian Muslim Students
\nMovement (PMII) demanded law enforcement, the protection of human
\nrights, Soeharto's trial, and the elimination of corruption.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, more than 1,000 people including farmers,
\nstudents, and housewives staged rallies in front of Gedung Sate,
\nthe governor's office, to urge the government to try Soeharto and
\nprovide free education and health care for the poor.<\/p>\n
The protesters of the Alliance of United People (ARB), also
\nargued that the reform movement had not improved the lives of the
\ncommon people. Even though hundreds of police personnel were
\nguarding the rallies, no clash was reported.<\/p>\n
In Denpasar, at least 50 protesters of the Antimilitarism and
\nNew Order Network were involved in clashes with dozens of
\nuniformed members of The Forum of Sons and Daughters of Retired
\nMilitary Personnel (FKPPI), injuring many of the protesters.<\/p>\n
The protesters, many of whom were students, had brought with
\nthem several posters of Wiranto and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
\nThey demanded that both be held responsible for the East Timor
\nmayhem in 1999 and military operations in Aceh. Around 35 members
\nof FKPPI attacked the protesters, who fled the site.<\/p>\n
However in Semarang, the Front for the Defense of the Poor
\n(FPRM) rejected the other four president candidates -- Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, Amien Rais, Abdurrahman Wahid and Hamzah Haz,
\nsaying that they failed to support the reform agenda let alone
\nbring about any tangible improvements in people's lives.<\/p>\n
In Palembang, hundreds of protesters also criticized military
\nabuses and the failure of succeeding governments in improving
\nconditions in the last six years.<\/p>\n
The protesters also demanded that the government implement the
\ndemands of the reform agenda by bringing former President
\nSoeharto and his cronies to trial, to end corruption, collusion
\nand nepotism, and to curb foreign control of the economy.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-renew-call-for-trial-of-soeharto-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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