Call for national strike gets mixed response

Call for national strike gets mixed response

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Student Executive Boards' (BEMs)
call for a national strike received a mixed response from both
the people and university students nationwide, and life
practically went on as normal in all cities in the country on
Monday, despite student demonstrations in several places.

In the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, some 200 students
from the local BEM branch gathered at the Mandala Monument area
downtown at Jl. Jend. Sudirman, expressing their support to the
Jakarta's BEM's call for a national strike.

Demanding that President Abdurrahman Wahid resign, the
students said that a national strike was the most effective way
to force the President to step down.

Usman, chairman of Makassar University BEM, said that Monday's
move was aimed at informing the people about their big plan.
"Many more students will take to the streets on Wednesday. We
were and will be consistent with our demand for the resignation
of President Abdurrahman."

A student of Hasanuddin University said she heard about the
strike call. "Things ran as usual on Monday, despite the
demonstration," Emmy Mustafa said.

In Purwokerto, Central Java, there was no action taken by
Jendral Sudirman University students.

Banyumas Police chief Comr. Imam Basuki told reporters that he
had been informed about a huge strike on Monday. "Thank God,
nothing happened."

Asked about the many officers in uniform standing at several
corners of the city, Imam said that the alert status related to
the planned visit of First Lady Sinta Nuriyah Wahid on Tuesday.

The First Lady was scheduled to become the keynote speaker at
a one-day seminar on gender in the campus.

Rumor had it that a big rally was planned to welcome Sinta
Nuriyah on Tuesday, but reliable sources said late Monday night
that she canceled her visit for unknown reasons.

In the Central Java capital of Semarang, around 500 students
of Diponegoro University BEM and the Sultan Agung Islamic
University marched to the provincial legislative council.

On the way, the students distributed leaflets to pedestrians
and motorists calling all people to go on strike as an expression
of national concern about the unresolved national problems.

The students also urged the President to step down for his
failures.

Fris Dwi Yuliyanto, the students' coordinator, did not say
when the strike would take place.

Meanwhile, at least 300 members of the Indonesian Muslim
Students' Front packed the front yard of the Grahadi
gubernatorial office in Surabaya, demanding that President 'Gus
Dur' Abdurrahman give up his post.

They said they supported their fellow students from the BEM
(who were in Jakarta for a similar demand), adding that Gus Dur's
administration has lost its political, moral, social and
psychological legitimacy.

In the 90-minute action, the students also criticized the
government's plan to increase fuel prices.

On Sunday, Jakarta students called on public transport drivers
to take part in the national strike.

However, the call got no response in Surabaya. "What's the
reason for going on strike? Shall drivers in Surabaya go on
strike if Jakarta drivers do so? Let Jakarta drivers take their
own action," Roni, a mikrolet driver said.

The students' front secretary, Guritno, said the (Surabaya)
students had never asked Surabaya people to go on strike. "We
have not planned any strike."

Nothing special happened in Yogyakarta on Monday.

Only a group of 35 people calling themselves the Youths
Community for Defending Democracy were seen gathering at the side
of the well-known Malioboro thoroughfare. They were just "saying
prayers" for national unity and had nothing to do with the
national strike call or demand for the President's resignation.

They waved huge banners which read, among other things, "Pray
for National Unity".

Coordinator Syahrul Munir said that his group was just trying
to remind all layers of society that unity was beyond everything.

Life in the West Java capital of Bandung went on as normal.
All government and private offices were open and there were no
students' demonstrations on the streets.

People seemed to be heedless of the call to strike.

"Who has called for a strike? Why? I have to make money as
usual," said Apul, a 61-year-old food vendor.

In Tangerang, Banten, public transport drivers did not heed
the strike call. They operated as usual, saying that they did not
agree with the strike call voiced by the students.

"We have families. Who will feed our wives and children if we
stop making money?," said Solihin, a driver of a public transport
vehicle plying the Pasar Anyar - Perumnas route.

A becak (three-wheeled pedicab) driver, Warman said a strike
would not change his life. "With or without a strike I'll remain
a becak driver," the 50-year-old man said. (team)