'Dangdut' music dismays student protesters
Asip A. Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
Soldiers in Yogyakarta came up with an novel way of responding to a student demonstration on Friday by blasting out popular local dangdut music and dancing in front of scores of students protesting outside the Yogyakarta Regional Military (Korem) headquarters.
Unlike the expected military response, the musical response apparently caused some disappointment among the students and they soon dispersed peacefully.
Friday marked the 56th anniversary of the Indonesian Military.
The story began when the students, who were demanding the abolition of the military role in politics, found the main gate of the headquarters locked.
They started making their speeches in very vigorous style, with their shouts getting louder and louder. Suddenly, the sound of dangdut music was heard, and started getting louder and louder also.
Seconds later scores of soldiers started to dance in front of the students.
The show lasted only about fifteen minutes until the protesters left.
"This is harassment of students and democracy!" one of the protesters, Zainu Rosyid, said. "This also shows how arrogant they (the soldiers) are."
The demonstration was organized by a faction of the Association of Muslim Students (HMI) from Sunan Kalijaga State Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN).
There was no explanation forthcoming from the military as to why they welcomed the student protesters they did.
The students were also demanding that the Indonesian Military (TNI) improve the effectiveness of military tribunals in punishing errant military personnel implicated in crimes.
"Everybody knows that there are many members of the army and police who provide protection for illegal businesses," Satria, another student, said. "They must be punished."
In their statement, the protesters urged that the trials of military personnel who were involved in human rights violations be continued.
The official commemoration ceremony for the TNI anniversary in Yogyakarta was held at the city's Alun-Alun Utara (northern square).