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)