July 27 commemorative rally centered on Megawati's house
July 27 commemorative rally centered on Megawati's house
JAKARTA (JP): The Megawati Soekarnoputri camp in the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) has said it is determined to
hold a peaceful and orderly commemoration of the second
anniversary of the takeover of their headquarters at Megawati's
house in South Jakarta today.
PDI Secretary-General Alexander Litaay expects around 5,000
people to gather at Megawati's house in Kebagusan Baru today.
"We will conduct it in an orderly fashion and we expect the
security forces will also do their job well," Litaay said here
yesterday.
Speaking to journalists before addressing a crowd of 200
Megawati loyalists in the Menteng area of Central Jakarta, he
said Koran recitals, prayers and a speech from Megawati have been
planned.
Litaay called on them to ensure that today's commemoration
proceeded peacefully. "Let's ensure that not even be a single car
wing-mirror gets broken".
Megawati was ousted from the PDI chair in a government backed
congress in 1996 and replaced by Soerjadi.
A few months later the party's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro,
Central Jakarta, were taken over in a bloody incident which
sparked a riot in the surrounding area.
While commemorations today will focus around Kebagusan Baru,
Litaay said the event's organizers could not stop people from
visiting the office on Jl. Diponegoro, especially if they wished
to sprinkle flowers there.
Organizers had initially planned to hold the event at Istora
Senayan stadium in Central Jakarta. However police refused to
issue a permit for the mass commemoration.
City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang and a spokesman
for the Jakarta Military Command, Lt. Col. D.J. Nachrowi, told
The Jakarta Post yesterday that they had been informed of the
commemoration taking place at Megawati's residence.
Security forces will be on alert for any possible
disturbances.
Around 10,000 police will be deployed today, while the Jakarta
Military Command has prepared an additional 9,300 personnel to
back up the city police.
"Why have we given extra attention to this? Because we have
indications that there are parties who might try to take
advantage of the situation.
"As long as the supporters obey the rules and abide by their
word... I think it will be fine. We would not want any clash to
take place," Nachrowi said.
Clash
In Yogyakarta a peaceful commemoration of the 1996 incident
held yesterday was marred by a separate incident which threatened
to pit supporters of the PDI against rivals from the United
Development Party (PPP).
For unknown reasons a group of people set fire to a PDI branch
office in the city at about 2 p.m. Half an hour later a second
group of people wearing PDI attire approached the PPP office
across the street and set it alight.
Local PDI and PPP leaders agreed to let police investigate who
masterminded the incident.
The commemoration itself in the city's north square went ahead
smoothly. The square was turned into a sea of red by the 50,000
people who turned out to pay their respects.
In Semarang, Central Java, police said they would allow the
PDI to hold demonstrations without any obstruction.
"Go ahead and apply for a permit, we won't object. It the age
of reform now, there's no need for prohibitions," said provincial
police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi. (23/44/har/edt/aan)