Do students' demands have popular support?

Do students' demands have popular support?

From Merdeka

I refer to the views of H. Tjetje Hidayat Padmadinata (former House of Representatives Commission X member) and Dr. H. Rusadi (lecturer at Pajajaran University's School of Social and Political Sciences) in Pikiran Rakyat on April 24, 1998, page 3, that conflict with Minister of Home Affairs Hartono's view concerning the values of students' demands. * Both H. Tjetje and Dr. Rusadi are of the opinion that the students' demands represent the aspirations of the whole people. * Hartono is of the opinion that the students' demands represent only a small portion of the people.

Let us consider which opinion is correct. According to the former, according to Indonesian history, Indonesian independence was proclaimed by Bung Karno (Sukarno, Indonesia's first president) and Bung Hatta (vice president) accompanied by a small number of youths. Was the proclamation then only the demand of Bung Karno and Bung Hatta and that of the youths? Or was it the demand of the Indonesian people as a whole? It was proven that the proclamation was the demand of the whole people. If we consider this, then we can consider H. Tjetje and Dr. Rusadi's opinion to be right.

The same is true with the process of the birth of the New Order, which involved only a small group of youths, but their action was a manifestation of the people's demands. Again this justifies the opinion of H. Tjetje and Dr. Rusadi.

Now what about the students' movement of today which has spread far and wide? To judge whether this movement has the support of the whole people, it would be better if the students were allowed to take to the streets under the escort of the military to ensure that outsiders are prevented from infiltrating the demonstrations. Then see how the people react to the students' movement.

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