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

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)