Students unbowed by shootings<\/p>\n
The Nov. 13 clash between security officers and demonstrators
\nnear the Semanggi cloverleaf that claimed nine lives has raised
\nspeculation about the future of student activism as the driving
\nforce of Indonesia's reform movement.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post reporters Stevie Emilia, Edith Hartanto and
\nYudha Kartohadiprodjo discuss the issue in the following article<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Student activism is nursing the wounds sustained
\nin the Semanggi shooting spree that claimed the lives of nine
\nstudents. At least another six people died in other clashes
\nduring the week, most of whom were vigilantes.<\/p>\n
The Semanggi tragedy on what has become Black Friday, it turns
\nout, has not dampened student activists' spirit to carry on with
\ntheir street protests.<\/p>\n
Students from major groups have vowed to keep on marching on
\nthe streets although they believe military brutality remains a
\nthreat. This is in spite of the massive condemnation of the Nov.
\n13 shooting spree.<\/p>\n
Depending on their militancy and independence, student demands
\nrange from the resignation of President B.J. Habibie and Armed
\nForces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto, an end to the military's
\nrole in politics, the prosecution of former president Soeharto
\nand a fair general election.<\/p>\n
Progovernment groups, such Furkon, for example, insist that
\nthe Habibie government's legitimacy is unquestionable as are the
\nresults of the recent People's Consultative Assembly Special
\nSession.<\/p>\n
Moderate groups agree that ABRI should be stripped off its
\npolitical privileges but such a step should be implemented in
\nphases. Militant groups like Forkot want to see ABRI's political
\nrole ended immediately without compromise.<\/p>\n
Either way, the students are determined to roam the streets of
\nJakarta and major cities until they achieve their goal.<\/p>\n
\"We won't clear the streets until all our demands are met,\"
\nsays Kiki, a student at Tarakanita Secretarial College and an
\nactivist in the Student Action Front for Reform and Democracy
\n(Famred) told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
A splinter of Forkot, the more moderate Famred claims to have
\nthousands of members in 25 universities across Greater Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Adian of the City Forum (Forkot), which claims to have about
\n30,000 members in 36 universities across Greater Jakarta, pledged
\nthe same.<\/p>\n
\"We won't stop our fight for democracy. We'll go on until all
\nour demands -- the formation of a transitional government and
\nWiranto and Habibie's resignations -- come true, are fulfilled,\"
\nsays the student from the Indonesian Christian University's (UKI)
\nSchool of Law.<\/p>\n
Black Friday, which earned the government international
\ncondemnation, only strengthened student activists' persistence to
\npress their demands through massive rallies.<\/p>\n
They proved it last week when an estimated 8,000 students
\nmarched through Central Jakarta to Soeharto's residence. Security
\nauthorities were forced to deploy thousands of personnel to foil
\ntheir attempt to reach the former president's home.<\/p>\n
In the Semanggi and Atma Jaya University, the scene of the
\nNov. 13 violence, have become a favorite place for students to
\ngather and show off their strength.<\/p>\n
\"The incident makes us stronger, people saw that ABRI has no
\nmercy because it's not only students who have become the victims,
\nbut also civilians,\" Kiki says.<\/p>\n
As in Jakarta, student demonstrations in many provincial
\ncities have received sympathy from the public, including
\ncommunity leaders, who were angered by the Semanggi incident.<\/p>\n
Apparently alarmed by students' persistence and militancy,
\nsome government and military officials have charged that the
\nstudents were used by political interest groups for the latters'
\nown end.<\/p>\n
The government added fuel to the fire when police questioned
\nmembers of the National Front, which consists mainly of retired
\ngenerals, on suspicion of treason and inciting students to
\nescalate their antigovernment protests.<\/p>\n
Students have denied they were used by any political interest
\ngroups.<\/p>\n
\"Previously, we were accused of being communist by Wiranto,
\nbut people are not so stupid they can't see the truth,\" Adian
\nsays, accusing the authorities of using Soeharto's tactics to
\ncrush student protests.<\/p>\n
Elli of Forkot urges the government to prove the accusations
\nit leveled against his group.<\/p>\n
\"They (the accusations) are a joke. What's communist? The
\ngovernment has never proved it... They put the stigma on us with
\nthe intention to make people hate us. People laugh at the tactic
\nand ask 'are there any communists around?'...,\" said the National
\nInstitute of Science and Technology (ISTN) student.<\/p>\n
The activists also criticize the government's action against
\npeople it has charged with committing treason for criticizing the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"If these people were questioned for giving us donations, what
\nis wrong with giving donations? People support us. If that is the
\ncase, the authorities will end up arresting all sympathizers,
\nhousewives, ojek (motorcycle taxis) drivers, taxi drivers, those
\nwho help us,\" Adian says.<\/p>\n
Students, he said, did not have much money. \"We only have
\nspirit and we're grateful to all those offering food, drinks,
\nmoney, cloth (for banners) and other things,\" Adian says.<\/p>\n
Some people even contacted the students to learn the location
\nof the rallies so they could deliver their food donations.<\/p>\n
Organized<\/p>\n
In their actions, students groups are relatively well-
\norganized.<\/p>\n
Forkot, for instance, has training on advocacy and members on
\neach campuses recruit new participants and hold consolidation
\nmeetings with other groups. Even without leaders and a formal
\norganizational structure, it has spokespeople and activists in
\ncharge of field coordination, public relations, security, medical
\naffairs, recording events and lobbying.<\/p>\n
Before any rally, there will be a meeting attended by
\nrepresentative of each student groups to determine the strategy.<\/p>\n
Forkot even has developed a system to prevent it being
\ninfiltrated.<\/p>\n
It seems that the public cannot predict when political tension
\nwill ease and when they know that no street in Jakarta is closed
\nby ranks of armed troops.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-unbowed-by-shootings-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}