Trisakti tragedy remembered<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of students from universities in
\ncities across the country staged peaceful street rallies on
\nWednesday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the fatal
\nshooting of four Trisakti University students.<\/p>\n
No clashes occurred during the rallies.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, more than 1,000 students from universities and
\nstudent organizations took to the capital's main thoroughfares to
\nobserve the May 12 tragedy, watched by scores of security troops.<\/p>\n
Unfurling banners and posters, students from the Trisakti
\nStudent Family (Kamtri) and the City Forum (Forkot), toured the
\ncity in dozens of buses, causing heavy traffic congestion on Jl.
\nS. Parman, West Jakarta, and Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Other student groups, who recently threatened to mobilize
\nstudents in a mass rally, did not show up on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
At 11:40 a.m. approximately 500 Kamtri members in a convoy of
\nseven buses left Trisakti University's campus on Jl. Kyai Tapa in
\nGrogol, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Passing the West Jakarta Military District Headquarters, two
\nstudents disembarked from a bus, demanding soldiers on duty lower
\nthe Indonesian flag to half-mast to commemorate the death of the
\nfour students.<\/p>\n
The soldiers complied with the request. Officials at the
\nnearby West Jakarta prosecutor's office, who witnessed the
\nincident, lowered the flag at their office to half-mast too.<\/p>\n
The buses attempted to take the Grogol-Cawang toll road and
\nhead for the People's Consultative Assembly and House of
\nRepresentatives (MPR\/DPR) building. However, they were blocked by
\nat least 100 riot police officers at the toll road near the Mal
\nTaman Anggrek shopping complex in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The students distributed orchids to the officers, demanding
\nthey be allowed to proceed to the MPR\/DPR complex.<\/p>\n
Upon learning that their buses were blocked by riot police,
\nsome of the students then contacted chief of the West Jakarta
\npolice precinct Timur Pradopo to complain about the treatment.<\/p>\n
Timur arrived at the scene a few minutes later and ordered his
\nmen to allow the buses to continue their journey.<\/p>\n
After a further one-hour delay caused by a blockade of dozens
\nof riot police in the Tomang area, the students finally arrived
\nin front of the MPR\/DPR complex.<\/p>\n
\"We demand the Trisakti tragedy and other violent cases in the
\ncountry be solved,\" one of the students said in his speech,
\nadding that other tragedies, including the Semanggi incident,
\nwhich also claimed student lives, still needed thorough
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
With the help of Mar'ie Muhammad, the outspoken minister in
\nSoeharto's Cabinet, the national flag at the MPR\/DPR building was
\nalso lowered to half-mast at 3:30 pm in response to students'
\ndemands.<\/p>\n
The Trisakti tragedy erupted on May 12 last year when four
\nTrisakti students were shot dead by security personnel who opened
\nfire on demonstrating students.<\/p>\n
The shooting sparked major riots, forcing President Soeharto,
\nwho had been in power for 32 years, to quit on May 21.<\/p>\n
More than 700 Forkot members in at least 25 buses reached the
\ntoll road in front of the MPR\/DPR building at about 5 p.m.<\/p>\n
A group of 50 senior and junior high school students under the
\nJakarta Student Alliance also joined the rally in two buses.<\/p>\n
All the students left the toll road in front of the MPR\/DPR
\nbuilding at about 7 p.m.<\/p>\n
At least another 150 students staged a demonstration in front
\nof the Attorney General's Office in the Blok M area, South
\nJakarta, demanding the investigation into the shooting of the
\nTrisakti students continue.<\/p>\n
A commemoration of the Trisakti tragedy was also conducted in
\nJambi, Sumatra. Antara reported that at least 20 students visited
\nthe Jambi mayoralty and lowered the flag to half-mast.<\/p>\n
Mayoralty officials did not appear to object to the students'
\naction, the news agency reported.<\/p>\n
In Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, dozens of students
\ngrouped under the Palangka Raya student group (Gampar) visited
\nthe local legislative council to lower the flag to half-mast.<\/p>\n
The students subsequently raised the flag, after a veteran
\nsoldier who happened to be in the area protested their action.<\/p>\n
Students also lowered flags to half-mast in government offices
\nin Semarang, Central Java.<\/p>\n
Approximately 1,000 local students also staged a demonstration
\nand free-speech forum in the compound of the provincial
\nlegislative building.<\/p>\n
They demanded President B.J. Habibie and Minister of Defense
\nand Security\/Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto
\nimmediately prosecute those involved in the massacre of the
\nstudents last year.<\/p>\n
In Purwokerto, 700 students from universities joined a
\ncommemoration of the shooting which began at the STAIN Islamic
\nInstitute.<\/p>\n
They later marched to the local military office, unfurling a
\nbanner before the military office that read: \"The deaths of our
\nfour fellow students are the responsibilities of the Indonesian
\nMilitary.\"<\/p>\n
They later marched in the streets of the town for four hours,
\nclosely watched by security forces.<\/p>\n
In Bogor, at least 200 students from the Bogor Institute of
\nAgriculture demanded Gen. Wiranto issue a public apology over the
\ntragedy and other human rights violations.<\/p>\n
In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, the day was marked by some
\n200 women activists. They also took to the streets.<\/p>\n
The group demanded renewed investigation into the Trisakti
\nincident and called for the military to stop all forms of
\nviolence against members of society. (jun\/ylt\/har\/24\/27\/45)<\/p>",
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