Forkot denies communist links, says no demo planned

JAKARTA (JP): Forum Kota (Forkot), a loose association of students from 39 colleges in Jakarta, has denied accusations that it is communist-inspired and that it has planned to stage massive street demonstrations nationwide on Sept. 30.

In a statement on Monday, Forkot also said that accusations that it was an anti-Islam group were baseless since many of its members were students of Islamic universities.

"It's wrong to accuse Forkot as anti-Islam because members of the forum include students of the state-run Institute for Islamic Studies IAIN As-Syafi'iyah, Ibnu Chaldun University and others," the statement said.

The association slammed Republika and Panji Masyarakat for reports which it said suggested the communist-links.

It cited a headline story carried in Republika's Sept. 25 edition that read: ABRI Waspadai Gerakan G30'S Forkot (ABRI Keeps Close Watch on Forkot G30'S).

G30S, short for Gerakan 30 September (the Sept. 30 Movement), refers to the 1965 aborted coup blamed on the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Forkot also denied links with opposition figures grouped in the National Front led by retired army general A. Kemal Idris or to the popular Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"Forum Kota is an independent student action front, and has no patron-client relationships whatsoever with any political groups or elites," it said.

The group denied having any plans to hold massive street protests as some leaflets and rumors have said.

"So if there are protests on that date, they are not Forkot's responsibility."

A delegation of 46 Forkot members demonstrated on Monday at the Republika office, demanding the daily run an apology on its front page for three consecutive days. They were met by, among others, general manager Haidar Bagir and chief editor Makmur A. Makka.

The daily executives rejected the demand, saying they would look into whether their journalist had made any mistakes in the report.

In Medan, North Sumatra, members of Golkar-affiliate National Committee of Indonesian Youth (KNPI) and several other youth groups pledged to hold a counterprotest against any communist- inspired protests.

Activists Husni Malik and Yusuf Malik of the North Sumatra 66 Exponent youth group said the recent wave of student protests had endangered unity in the Armed Forces (ABRI).

They said public condemnations against ABRI must be stopped now that the military had launched internal reforms.

Activist Marzuki of Golkar Task Force added: "We won't allow (the continued condemnation of ABRI)." (21/25/aan)