Government calls for restraint in wake of protests

Government calls for restraint in wake of protests

JAKARTA (JP): The government yesterday appealed to all
parties, including the university students who have taken to the
streets these past two weeks, to refrain from engaging in any
activities that could disturb peace and order.

Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
Soesilo Soedarman said after a limited cabinet meeting that
people should resolve whatever differences they have by peaceful
means.

In the run-up to next year's general election, he said,
everyone must maintain their poise. "Everyone must restrain
themselves so that differences in opinion between political
organizations, civil organizations and NGOs can be settled
through deliberation and consensus.

"Demonstrations are not banned, but they should be conducted
in an orderly manner," he said. "There is no need to go to the
streets, and there is no need to do it in large numbers."

Soesilo acknowledged that the appeal was in response to the
Ujungpandang incident which officially left three people dead
last month.

Students in various cities around the country have been
holding demonstrations in solidarity with their colleagues who
died in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, in the April 22 and 23
disturbance.

The unrest, which also left many students injured, followed
protests against planned hikes in local public bus fares. The
students alleged that troopers used force against the
demonstrators, an accusation that the Armed Forces has denied.

The Ujungpandang incident and the protests which have ensued
since then were among the subjects discussed at the monthly
meeting of cabinet ministers under Soesilo's supervision.

Referring to the solidarity protests, Soesilo said students
should express grievances in a more orderly fashion. "Solidarity
can be displayed in a written manner," he remarked.

Rather than mobilizing other students, they could send several
delegates to the House of Representatives to make their point,
suggested Soesilo.

Meanwhile, students continued protesting yesterday in a number
of Central Java towns.

In Yogyakarta, about 40 students from various universities in
the city marched to the provincial legislature, while in Salatiga
about 100 students from the state Institute for Islamic Studies,
joined by students from private universities, also held a
demonstration. Both protests were to demonstrate solidarity
toward their colleagues in Ujungpandang.

In Purwokerto, students demonstrated against public
transportation fare increases in their city. They were met by
Purwokerto regent Sudantoko, who maintained that the rise had
been discussed with community representatives.

The Armed Forces (ABRI) has admitted that some procedures were
violated in the way troopers handled the April demonstrations in
Ujungpandang, but it strongly denied the suggestions that they
opened fire on the students or that they beat the protesters.

ABRI Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid,
while briefing newspaper editors at the Ministry of Information
on Tuesday, criticized some members of the media for giving room
to unfounded rumors.

Citing an example, he said the number of people killed in the
riot stood at three and not six as some people continue to
insist. "We have three body counts. Can anyone come up with the
other three?" he asked.

He said the light detachment of troopers was deployed only
after the protesters began setting fire to motorcycles and cars.
"Were we supposed to do nothing?" he asked.

Maj. Gen. Syamsir Siregar, the chief of ABRI's intelligence
agency, said the bullet cartridges found on campus after the riot
came from the firing of tear gas cylinders. "They were not
active bullets. You need to fire empty cartridges to fire the
tear gas."

The discovery of the empty cartridges has been used by the
students to support their claim that troops fired on
demonstrators.

Syarwan also admitted to procedural violations and said that
40 soldiers are now being questioned.

He cited the decision by some troopers to enter the campus of
the Indonesian Moslem University with panzers to quell the unrest
as one example of a violation. This, he added, was not ordered by
their commander. (mds/emb)

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