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)