Thu, 28 Sep 2000

Allow students to protest at Soeharto's house: Gus Dur

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid said in Caracas on Tuesday evening that security personnel should allow students to protest outside Soeharto's Central Jakarta house even if it meant stones being pelted at the former president's residence.

"The most they (protesters) can do is throw stones at the windows. Leave them be, I mean, Soeharto was very corrupt, wasn't he?" Abdurrahman was quoted by Antara as saying while speaking to members of the Indonesian community in Caracas.

The President was in the Venezuelan capital to attend the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Summit.

Students, calling for the former strongman to be jailed for corruption, often clashed with police guarding his house on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.

The President's comments were made ahead of the third session of Soeharto's corruption trial on Sept. 28. The trial started on Aug. 31 but he has so far failed to attend, claiming ill-health.

An independent team of doctors examined Soeharto last week to determine whether he was fit to stand trial and they are expected to present their findings at Thursday's hearing.

Abdurrahman, who is renowned for making controversial statements, said security personnel had no right to stop demonstrators marching to Soeharto's house.

Meanwhile in Jakarta on Wednesday, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X deplored the President's statement saying the remark was inappropriate.

"It is unethical for a president to say such thing," he was quoted by Antara as saying on the sidelines of an economic seminar.

"I have nothing against student protests but vandalism is another thing and it is not right," he added. (byg)