Celebrations of 1998 reform turn violent

Zakki Hakim and Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Thousands of people across Indonesia took part in violent demonstrations on Wednesday to demand heads of state resign as the beginning of a drive to complete reforms that began with the downfall of former authoritarian president Soeharto on May 21, 1998.

The protesters said the current regime had failed to lead the country in the spirit of reform that had driven Soeharto from power five years ago.

Violence marred the rallies in Jakarta, Pekanbaru in Riau, Makassar in South Sulawesi, and Purwokerto in Central Java.

In Jakarta, at least four different groups held separate rallies, including about 800 students and workers who had taken a week to march from Bandung and other West Java cities.

Close to 1,500 demonstrators gathered outside the House of Representatives compound in Central Jakarta to demand the current regime be replaced with younger people not yet influenced by the corrupt mentality of the New Order regime.

The protesters tried to repeat their past success of occupying the House compound, but were repelled by police water cannons. They were finally dispersed at 7:30 p.m.

Some threw stones and molotov cocktails at police, while other demonstrators burned banners and the flags of political parties draped over the toll road fence near the House compound.

At least one policeman suffered minor injuries after he was hit in the groin by a bottle hurled by a protester. The police mobile brigade and riot units arrested nine of the rally organizers and confiscated a pickup truck loaded with sound equipment.

The clash caused heavy traffic congestion in Jl. Gatot Subroto and the toll road running parallel to it after the demonstrators tried to evade the police by running across the roads.