Is there any end to student demos?

Is there any end to student demos?

Despite President Soeharto giving the green light for initial
reforms, demonstrations continue unabated at universities across
the country. Political science professor Ryaas Rasyid of the
state National Institute of Administration discusses why the
students have refused to return to class.

Question: Why do students seem to disregard President
Soeharto's indication of support for political reform?

Ryaas: The President's offer is too general without discussing
the details. The indication, which invited various parties,
including students, to make suggestions on reform, will also need
too long a time before the reform itself is formulated.

On the other hand, the demonstrating students want quick
action. Furthermore, their demands have expanded too far as the
government failed to respond early during the first months of
their demonstrations. Initially, they demanded political,
economic and legal reforms but, based on my discussions with
them, their demands currently include national leadership
succession and the convening of an extraordinary session of the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Q: Why do the students want a leadership change? Do they have
candidates to lead the country?

R: I don't know whether they have candidates. But they believe
that any reform can be implemented only after leadership
succession takes place, like in South Korea, and that based on
history, no regime which has created a crisis can help a nation
out of it.

Q: Lecturers and university administrators are now taking part in
the student demonstrations. Do they work out the formulation of
the reform together?

R: No. University leaders and lecturers join the students with an
aim to prevent them from being used by other parties for
particular political goals and from getting involved in violence.
They do not want the students to become radical and violent. In
the event of that, their efforts would be futile.

There is no discussion on the formulation of reform because
the students are always suspicious of dialogs. I once told them
that they lacked the spirit of democracy if they did not want to
have dialog.

Q: But why have the demonstrations become more violent lately?

R: This is especially true in North Sumatra. It stems from the
relatively more violent local culture combined with the
ineffective conduct of the local security officers.

Q: Why are they not satisfied with the economic reforms
formulated by the government and the International Monetary Fund?

R: It's not clear. What they say is merely rhetorical. They never
discuss details. They consider discussing the details as
something beyond their responsibility. That is why it is
difficult to measure their satisfaction.

Q: How do the students respond to the legal reform initiated by
Minister of Justice Muladi?

R: Positively. But, frankly speaking, their demands for economic
and legal reforms are just rhetorical -- to justify their
collective movement expressing their disappointment. What they
want is only a political change focused on the change of the
national leadership. I myself don't understand what has made them
so obsessed with national leadership change and I don't know
their political interest.

Q: Is there a possible compromise that can be reached by the
government and the students?

R: No way can a formal compromise be reached because there are
too many interests involved in the proposed reform. Even the
students themselves cannot compromise on their own ideas.

Q: So you don't foresee an end to demonstrations?

R: There are only two ways to end their demonstrations.

One is by crushing demonstrating students through military
force, and all the students would be scared. But such an
inhumane, unpopular response is impossible to be carried out in
this era of transparency.

Two is for the government to offer a sound agenda of reform
with clear timetables. The government, together with the House of
Representatives (DPR), should assure all the citizens that they
will seriously formulate political, economic and legal reforms to
satisfy the interests of all the people. They should no longer
wait for the people to air their ideas, but they must take the
initiative by offering sound and applicable concepts.

Both the government and the DPR must have a sense of
emergency, so that they can produce necessary laws in a short
period of time.

They should, for example, prepare laws empowering the DPR,
describing the authorities of the president, guaranteeing the
equality of power among political parties, offering freedom of
speech and prescribing the ethics of governance.

The DPR, under reformed rules of the game, should be able to
accomplish all its rights, such as the rights to take initiatives
and make inquiries. People must be free to express ideas provided
that they are not telling lies, slandering, manipulating facts or
encouraging rebellion.

A law on ethics of government is important to prevent corrupt,
collusive and nepotistic practices.

Q: Do you think the demonstrations will escalate if neither of
the two is accomplished?

R: Yes. The other section of the society, motivated by the steep
rises in fuel prices and electricity billing rates, might also
join students in their demonstrations in the coming days. I have
heard (students) efforts to solicit support from labor. It is,
therefore, very urgent for the government to take action which
accommodates people's aspirations. (riz)