Gu Dur, Amien join rally, as students hit the streets

JAKARTA (JP): Two top opposition leaders on Wednesday joined a street rally held by students who were protesting anarchy and the use of violence, which have become commonplace throughout the country.

The founder of National Awakening Party Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and chairman of the National Mandate Party Amien Rais visited the students in front of the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in the heart of the capital.

The two national leaders, who are staying at Hotel Indonesia, where future legislators are currently staying, said they joined the rally because they supported the students' antiviolence campaign and they were against the acts of anarchy currently on the rise in the country.

"I am a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, I am against violent measures," Gus Dur told the students, urging them to peacefully channel their aspirations to the House of Representatives. His remarks appeared to a plea to the students that they avoid a reoccurrence of the bloody clashes that took place between students and troops last week.

In a five minute speech addressed to the student demonstrators, Amien said that because the students remained the spearhead of the reform movement in the country, they could always correct the mistakes made by the country's leaders.

"If Amien Rais or Gus Dur make mistakes then you should tell us," he said in front of about 700 students from various Jakarta universities.

The students, led by University of Indonesia Students Executive Board (BEM-UI), began their rally at 10 a.m. They also demanded that the incoming legislators, who will be sworn in on Oct. 1, continue the agenda of reform.

"We demand that the new legislators amend the 1945 Constitution and uphold the supremacy of law in the country," BEM-UI spokesman Arie Wibowo said.

The protesters also repeated their demand that former president Soeharto be put on trial for oppression committed during his 32 years of rule.

Upcoming legislators from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) were willing to hold a talk with student representatives.

However, the students refused to meet them.

Students keep pouring into the area until midday, after which they dispersed peacefully and headed to the UI Salemba campus in Central Jakarta.

Inside the hotel, members of the Women's Union for Democracy distributed flowers to the parties' new legislators. Attached to the flowers were small cards which read "Don't betray the people".

Another group of some 200 people demanded President B.J. Habibie take responsibility for the bloodshed during a series of student rallies and for East Timor's separation from Indonesia.

"Habibie must be held responsible for the Semanggi tragedies and East Timor," Karyono, coordinator of the Indonesian National Movement (GNRI), said.

Separately, about 100 members of the Inter-University Muslim Association (Hammas) gathered outside the National Police Headquarters in South Jakarta on Tuesday afternoon to protest the police's belated response to act against the alleged provocateurs of last week's violent demonstrations.

The protesters repeatedly cried out several provocative slogans, such as "Hang Ratna Sarumpaet! Hang Soebroto!"

The group's spokesperson M. Fajar, attired in a University of Indonesia yellow jacket, said city police had already named stage actor Ratna and former minister of mines and energy Soebroto as suspected masterminds behind the recent demonstrations.

"Still, they have not taken any action against these provocateurs. If they don't, we will prepare for a jihad," said Fajar, who claimed to be a student of the university's School of Social and Political Studies.

In Bandarlampung, Sumatra, thousands of students and residents joined a solemn parade to pay tribute to colleague M. Yusuf Rizal, 23, who died earlier this week.

The Lampung University sociology student was shot during a street protest against the controversial state security bill on Tuesday.

Scores were injured and at least 13 students were taken in for questioning after the fray, which took place near the local district military headquarters.

Lampung Military Police chief Lt. Col. Bagus Heroe S. pledged on Tuesday to conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting. Several guns used by personnel of the Kedaton Military Command on Tuesday have been confiscated.

"But this probe is based on presumption of innocent," Bagus said.

Garuda Hitam Military Headquarters chief Col. Mudjiono of the province has alleged that the Democratic People's Party (PRD) was behind Tuesday's incident.

PRD has denied the allegation.

Protests against last week's and Tuesday's shootings and in Lampung also took place on Tuesday in Semarang and Yogyakarta.

They all condemned the military for its action toward student protesters. (04/03/42/44/har/edt/ylt)