33 injured in PDI Medan office takeover
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): At least 33 people were injured yesterday when 300 supporters of Soerjadi retook the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) branch office here from loyalists of Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Supporters of the ousted PDI leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, who took control of the office last month, put up a fierce resistance, defending themselves with sticks, stones and knives. However they were outnumbered three-to-one and eventually had to flee the scene.
After taking over the building, Soerjadi's supporters, led by the provincial party chairman Patawi Bowie and Djalil Siregar, handed the office over to the local Armed Forces command.
"We are the legal PDI," Patawi boasted after the incident.
The commander of the West Medan military subdistrict Capt. Agus Rauf declared that ABRI would guard the office to prevent further clashes.
Soerjadi toppled Megawati from the party's leadership in a government backed congress here in 1996.
The peak of the conflict between the rival factions of supporters occurred on July 27 in 1996 with the bloody takeover of the PDI headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, by Soerjadi's supporters.
Several people were killed in the clash and dozens of people went missing in its aftermath.
The incident sparked a riot in the surrounding area and several buildings were damaged and set alight.
However, after the resignation of former president Soeharto Megawati supporters quickly gained the upper hand in the power struggle and began to retake branch offices in the hands of Soerjadi supporters throughout the country.
Yesterday's incident was one of the first attempts by pro- Soerjadi forces to retaliate against the Megawati faction.
However, Baskami Ginting, one of Megawati's supporters in Medan, claimed yesterday that the military had allowed them to enter the office again later in the evening after the situation had calmed down.
"They will allow us to use the office as long as there are no more clashes," Ginting said.
In contrast to the violence which erupted in Medan, Soerjadi's supporters instantly surrendered yesterday morning when about 1,000 Megawati supporters surrounded the PDI office on Jl. Joglo Raya Kembangan, West Jakarta.
"After this we plan to occupy other branch offices," said Alex Asmasoebrata, who led the group.
Alex is a controversial figure in the PDI, having at different times declared his supported for both Soerjadi and Megawati.
"This occupation is the proof of our rejection of Soerjadi's leadership," Alex said.
The takeover later turned into a street fashion show after Alex toured the immediate area accompanied by beautiful girls who gave out flowers to the watching crowd. (21/prb)