Antigovernment demonstrations in Jakarta continue
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)