Jakarta safe and under control: Wiranto

Jakarta safe and under control: Wiranto

JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto said Jakarta
was safe and under control on Friday morning, only hours before
the capital erupted in violence and at least four more people
died in clashes between security personnel and masses of students
and residents.

"Jakarta is safe and under control. Please carry on your
activities and duties as usual," he said in a media briefing at
the House of Representatives (DPR)/People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) on Jl. Gatot Subroto, outside of which thousands of
students gathered on Thursday in their attempts to enter the
building.

However, Wiranto called on residents to stay off the streets
to avoid trouble. He denied issuing a call for offices to close
down and send employees home.

He explained away the much-condemned deployment of armed
civilian volunteers, who for the past two days have been engaged
in clashes with students protesting the Special Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly.

"It would be better if they (the residents) cooperate with
security personnel stationed at various strategic points across
the capital to secure the situation," he said.

Wiranto criticized the student protests that have become
progressively bigger and bolder since the session opened on
Tuesday. He said the protests were held by a group of students
who disregarded the law, disrespected the national dignity and
dismissed the interests of the majority of the people.

"They have turned the security apparatus into their enemy," he
said.

Later in the day, President B.J. Habibie appealed to student
protesters to restrain from disrupting the people's daily lives.

Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung said on Friday
afternoon that the President considered demonstrations an
inseparable part of a democratic life, but demonstrators must
avoid destructive acts in exercising their freedom of expression.

"(The President calls on) demonstrators not to conduct
activities that could disrupt economic life, much less
destruction and arson," Akbar said.

Support

Meanwhile, a leader of Forum Kota -- an association of
students from various universities in Greater Jakarta which has
been leading the anti-Special Session campaign -- condemned the
use of violence by security authorities.

Adian, the leader, said the group vowed to bring the military
to court over the incident and launch a campaign to tell the
international world about the violence.

"At least 90 of our members were injured during Thursday's
clashes. The whereabouts of 75 members is still unknown," said
Adian, a student of the Indonesian Catholic University.

Forum Kota (Forkot) disclosed that 30 motorcycles and five
cars belonging to their members went missing during the clashes.

He made clear that the group's ultimate goal of the forum was
the resignation of President Habibie and Gen. Wiranto.

"We'll stick to our demands. We will be consistent, until the
current transitional government is changed," he said.

The students' campaign to go to the Assembly in order to
deliver their demands for political reform, though in some cases
ending in casualties, received greater support from various
parties.

Moslem leader Amien Rais called on the Assembly leaders to go
out and meet representatives of the students and allow them to
air their demands.

"Maybe it will reduce the tension. Just like Islam teaches,
that if you shake hands, peace will prevail," he said.

Former finance minister Mar'ie Muhammad pointed out that from
the beginning students have been in the forefront of the push for
reform. "It has been a costly campaign, including those who have
been injured," he said in a media briefing. "The current Special
Session would not have achieved what they have so far, had it not
been for the students' pressure."

"I strongly protest the shooting of unarmed students. Do they
who fired the shots know what a human life is worth? How dare
they use weapons just like that?"

Supporting the students were alumni of Brawijaya University in
the East Java town of Malang, and Sepuluh November Institute of
Technology in Surabaya. In a statement, the group, calling
themselves Tebet Discussion Forum, said: "We are consistently
supporting the students' moral movement to bring about total
reform, which is also championed by other elements of the
nation...."

"We regret the Armed Forces' repressive actions in dealing
with students' peaceful demonstrations in their demand for
Assembly decrees which are in line with the people's
aspirations."

Another group, Salemba Forum of University of Indonesia,
issued a statement condemning the repressive actions of the
military, and the deployment of the armed volunteers which led to
"civil war".

An association of staff lecturers at the University of
Indonesia issued a statement, signed by some prominent
professors, supporting the students' campaign.

"The staff lecturers consistently support... the students in
their peaceful campaign for true democracy," they said. "We
condemn the security personnel's violent handling of the
students' actions."

They added, "We demand that the government take firm actions
against armed civilian security units so the people can
peacefully air their opinions." Among the signatories were
lawyers T. Mulya Lubis and Kartini Sjahrir. (team)