Antigovernment demonstrations in Jakarta continue
JAKARTA (JP): Antigovernment demonstration in Jakarta continued on Friday while the situation in East Java began to return to normal following President Abdurrahman Wahid's visit to the province.
About 5,000 students from numerous universities and institutes in Java and Sumatra staged a demonstration near the presidential palace, demanding Abdurrahman resign.
The demonstrators, who marched from the Salemba campus of the University of Indonesia past the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to the presidential palace, said the President should voluntarily step down because his government was no longer effective.
"Reform has stagnated while corruption, collusion and nepotism are still prevalent in the administration. Gus Dur's era is over because a government that has lost the political support of the House is no longer effective," Baharuddin, a student activist from the University of Indonesia, said in a speech near the president's official residence.
The students also condemned the violent progovernment demonstrations in East Java and the torching of the Golkar Party's office in the provincial capital of Surabaya, saying the President should be held accountable for his supporters' actions during the two days of demonstrations.
The demonstrators, mostly from the University of Indonesia, the Bogor Institute of Agriculture and the Syarief Hidayatullah Islamic Teaching Institute, dispersed peacefully under the escort of around 400 personnel from the police's Mobile Brigade.
Also, about 100 supporters and critics of Abdurrahman faced off several meters from the presidential palace in Central Jakarta.
Gus Dur's supporters, from the Front to Uphold Democracy, were giving speeches about 30 meters away from members of the Association of Inter-Campus Muslim Students.
About 100 police officers were able to separate the two groups and prevent a clash.
Also, some 30 members of the Association of the Non-Violent Public Action protested at National Police Headquarters on Jl. Trunojoyo in South Jakarta.
The group demanded the National Police take action against those behind the destruction of Golkar Party offices, as well as offices of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP), in East Java.
Jamak spokesman Adam Hermawan said the National Police must question President Abdurrahman Wahid and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chief Hasyim Muzadi "for making controversial statements that fired up their supporters".
Meanwhile, the situation in Surabaya and other cities in East Java returned to normal following the President's visit to Pasuruan on Friday.
Thousands of supporters of the President staged a demonstration in the provincial capital and other cities to protest the House of Representatives' censure of the President for his alleged involvement in the two financial scandals.
In Semarang, the capital of Central Java, about 1,500 students staged a demonstration in front of the governor's office, demanding the President, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and House Speaker Akbar Tandjung resign.
"These four should step down because they have failed to implement reform," Donni, the coordinator of the demonstration, said in a speech.
The students also urged the political elite to avoid using violence to further their political interests.
In Surakarta, two groups of students staged protests during the commemoration of National Press Day here.
Some 100 women students from the Union of Muslim Student Action condemned the recent violence in East Java.
"Stop the violence!" shouted the protesters, waving banners carrying messages urging peace.
In Denpasar, Bali, dozens of students from Udayana University failed to seal off Golkar's local office when they were blocked by a score of security personnel.
The demonstrators called on the government to try former president Soeharto, his family and associates for corruption during the New Order era. (rms/ylt/edt/44/har/zen)