High school students demand total reform
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of fresh senior high school graduates celebrated yesterday with a peaceful demonstration for total reform, held at the Central Jakarta campus of the University of Indonesia.
Students from 17 high schools in Jakarta arrived at the campus at midday with their uniforms, hair and faces painted various colors, the customary way of students here to mark the end of the school year.
Calling themselves Aksi Solidaritas Pelajar Jakarta (Jakarta Students Solidarity Action), the students demanded the repeal of five existing political laws, the Armed Forces' dual function, general elections and the dismissal of members of House of Representatives and People's Consultative Assembly.
Warto from Bunda Kandung senior technical high school said the demonstration was planned three days previously after the recent student sit-in at the House building.
"It's a kind of support and solidarity for the university students, who demanded the same thing."
He said students from his school used their own money to rent a bus to transport them from their campus in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.
Students had planned a street rally, he added, but they were dissuaded by the sight of soldiers posted in the area.
Students read poems and sang songs in front of the medical school on Jl. Salemba.
Other high schools represented included SMU Budi Oetomo, SMU 82, SMU Diponegoro, STM 1 PGRI and STM 11 PGRI.
Students from the schools have frequently been involved in street brawls, but they stuck together during the gathering.
"This time we do not want to fight ... Just because we're teenagers does not mean we cannot contribute to this country's struggle for reforms," Emil Widodo of SMU Diponegoro said.
Separately, the Indonesian Islamic Student Movement (PMII) held a peaceful street rally from Jl. Proklamasi in Central Jakarta to Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem organization's headquarters on Jl. Kramat Raya.
They passed the Salemba campus and were greeted by the students inside the campus with "Long live reforms".
Under the blazing sun, the ebullient high school students ran after the PMII's students and joined the march. Their faces were covered with paint, which ran because of the heat.
PMII held a media conference at Nahdlatul Ulama headquarters, issuing a statement rejecting the use of religion for political interests, demanding an extraordinary session of People's Consultative Assembly and rebuffing President B.J. Habibie's Cabinet in favor of what they termed a clean and just one.
Other cities
Meanwhile, students in many other cities shifted their protests Saturday to the new government. They said Habibie should step down and that former president Soeharto must be tried for alleged abuses of power and human rights.
In Medan, North Sumatra, about 2,000 students from Nomensen University, state-run North Sumatra University and Muhammadiyah University marched to the provincial legislative council.
They called for the People's Consultative Assembly convene an extraordinary session to seek Soeharto's accountability for his 32-year rule of the country.
"We demand total reform as soon as possible. We want a restoration of people's sovereignty," student leader Parasian Tampubolon said in his speech.
The students also distributed free foodstuffs to three-wheeled vehicle becak drivers and street sweepers, who have had to work overtime during widespread student demonstrations since February.
In Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh, about 100 students ended their occupation of the local legislative council building yesterday after they received assurances from local officials that their demands had been heard.
"When you continue occupying this building the legislators cannot work to channel your aspirations," Antara quoted Aceh Besar military district chief Lt. Col. Awaluddin Basri as saying.
In Bogor, West Java, about 200 students gathered at Pakuan University Campus and expressed distrust of the new Cabinet.
"The Cabinet must be free from corruption, collusion and nepotism," said Agus Purwoko, a student of Bogor Institute of Agriculture.
Similar demands were also voiced by students in Semarang, Central Java. The transfer of power from Soeharto to Habibie on Thursday was also regarded as unconstitutional by the students.
"A collective leadership must be formed to prepare the Assembly special meeting," they said in a written statement.
In Purwokerto, Central Java, students from General Soedirman University denounced the Banyumas Military District chief Lt. Col. Soeratno for allegedly pointing his pistol at the head of a demonstrator in a bid to disperse students last Wednesday.
Students throughout the country held a massive street protest to demand Soeharto's resignation on that day.
Chairman of the university student senate Kundiyarto said in a letter to Wijaya Kusuma Military commandant Col. Amirul Isnaeni -- overseeing several regencies including Banyumas -- that Soeratno's arrogant act had marred the good relations between students and the military.
"We are very humiliated with his very repressive approach in handling our demonstration," Kundiyarto wrote in the letter dated May 23.
"He treated us like animals," said protester Saeful Amin. (45/21/24/har/prb/jun/edt)