TNI says protests orchestrated<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security\/Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto said on Friday that the
\nviolent protests against the state security bill over the past
\ntwo days in Jakarta were planned by groups with hidden agendas.<\/p>\n
\"They have their goals. I call upon whoever is behind this
\n(the protests) to simply appear.<\/p>\n
\"Don't use students, hoodlums and students to create chaos. Do
\nnot hide behind the movement,\" Wiranto announced at the State
\nPalace prior to attending a farewell party hosted by President
\nB.J. Habibie for legislators, who approved the state security
\nbill the previous day.<\/p>\n
The situation in the capital started to calm down at about 7
\np.m. on Friday, shortly after the announcement of the
\npostponement of the bill's enactment.<\/p>\n
The troops deployed to the scene of clashes in the Semanggi
\narea in Central Jakarta immediately retreated.<\/p>\n
The two days of clashes between security troops and tens of
\nthousands of protesters, including students, activists and
\ncommoners, left at least five people dead from gunshot wounds and
\none low-ranking officer from the police Mobile Brigade.<\/p>\n
Two of the five civilians were fatally shot at about 8:55 p.m.
\non Friday when people gathered near Danamon Plaza. Shots were
\nreportedly fired blindly by troops inside 10 military trucks
\npassing through Jl. Sudirman.<\/p>\n
The shooting came from \"the 10 military trucks carrying
\npersonnel from the Joint Military-Police Crack Riot Troops and
\nriot troops,\" eyewitness Hermawan Sulistyo, a National Institute
\nof Sciences researcher, said.<\/p>\n
\"A nine-year-old boy and a teenager were killed and two other
\npeople were wounded,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The fatalities were later confirmed by staff at the nearby
\nJakarta Hospital and Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, which
\nrespectively received the bodies.<\/p>\n
About five minutes before the shooting, the Australian Embassy
\nin Kuningan, about three kilometers from the scene, was shot at
\nthree times by an unidentified group driving a Toyota Kijang van.<\/p>\n
When contacted last night, Ambassador John P. McCarty
\nconfirmed the incident.<\/p>\n
\"But it's not clear yet how many shots were fired. We didn't
\ncall the police because they were already there,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Wiranto, the plotters of the two days of violent
\nprotests were irresponsible people.<\/p>\n
\"If we disagree with something, let's talk in an elegant,
\nnoble and fine way,\" the four-star general said.<\/p>\n
When forced by journalists to name the parties, Wiranto
\nreplied: \"You know who these people are. You must know, please do
\nnot pretend you know nothing.\"<\/p>\n
Separately, Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis
\nclaimed on Friday that four former high-ranking government
\nofficials and three others were behind the mass rally.<\/p>\n
\"They include Pak Soebroto (former minister of mines and
\nenergy), Cahyono, Andi Shiarani and Trias,\" Zainuri said, giving
\nno details of the others.<\/p>\n
\"They were caught holding a meeting at the Sahid Jaya hotel on
\nJl. Jend. Sudirman, South Jakarta, at about 1 p.m. on Thursday,\"
\nhe said without further explanation.<\/p>\n
None of the four men were available for comment, but
\nSoebroto's secretary was quoted by Antara as saying on Friday
\nthat her boss was in Sydney, Australia.<\/p>\n
Earlier at TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta,
\nWiranto said troops would take stern measures against protesters
\nin order to restore peace and order.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want this country, which is already under pressure
\nand facing the important event of a People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) General Session, to be plunged into disorder by
\nanarchic actions,\" he was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
Violent behavior such as committing arson, throwing Molotov
\ncocktails and hurling stones during the demonstrations were
\ncommitted not by students but by hoodlums, he said.<\/p>\n
The number of people injured during the two days of clashes
\nreached more than 100.<\/p>\n
The first three civilians were shot to death from a distance.
\nNone of them were students.<\/p>\n
\"One of them is still unidentified. The other two were
\nidentified as Fadly, 21, and Zaenal bin Zudin, 22,\" forensic
\ndoctor Abdul Mu'nim Idries from Cipto Mangunkusumo General
\nHospital said.<\/p>\n
Fadly, an employee of Survey Research Indonesia, was shot in
\nthe back, while Zaenal was shot in the back of the head. The
\nbullet exited through to his right eye shot.<\/p>\n
\"None of the bullets were found, which could make it hard to
\ninvestigate the shootings,\" Mu'nim said.<\/p>\n
Three students and a man were still being treated for serious
\ngunshot wounds.<\/p>\n
The dead officer was identified as I Ketut Suparman.<\/p>\n
Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said the officer was
\nhit by a speeding Kijang van while attempting to disperse
\nprotesters on Jl. Gatot Subroto at 11 p.m. on Thursday.<\/p>\n
At least 37 people, mainly students from the National
\nUniversity (Unas), are being detained at city police
\nheadquarters.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, about 100 students continued to demand that the
\nbill be dropped.<\/p>\n
\"If the security bill is not dropped, we will stage massive
\nprotests until it (the law) is revoked. We're not afraid of the
\nmilitary,\" shouted student N. Fatah.<\/p>\n
In Medan, North Sumatra, about 100 students protested on Jl.
\nGatot Subroto on Friday. \"We want the newly appointed legislators
\nto drop the bill,\" Andi Sose, the group coordinator, said.<\/p>\n
\"The law just brings military power once again to rule
\nsociety,\" they shouted.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, students staged a solidarity protest for victims
\nof Jakarta's Thursday incident. Among the group were Youth Front
\nof National Mandate Party, Bandung Students Communication Forum
\nand Indonesian Labor Solidarity.<\/p>\n
\"Our voices are one. Revoke the bill,\" said a student.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, hundreds of students were involved in a clash
\nwith security officers in front of the council building. About 20
\nstudents suffered minor injuries.<\/p>\n
Sources claim there will be another mass rally on Saturday.
\n(03\/04\/43\/39\/har\/nur\/edt\/asa\/jun\/ylt\/bsr)<\/p>",
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