'Long march' for Megawati ends
JAKARTA (JP): Members and supporters of the dispute-ridden Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) concluded their "long march" yesterday outside the House of Representatives in support of the ousted party leader, Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Led by Roch Basoeki Mangoenpoerojo, a retired army colonel, the 100-strong group calling itself the Constitution-loving PDI Cadres met People's Consultative Assembly Deputy Speaker Amiruddin to cap off their six-day plane hop from Bali.
The group disbanded after relaying Amiruddin their concerns about the rift in the PDI.
In the brief meeting, Basoeki called on the People's Consultative Assembly to remind the government to enforce the law consistently and improve public services.
The group demanded that the government revoke the PDI's list of legislative candidates pending a court decision on the party's leadership dispute. And they suggested the Armed Forces break its affiliation with Golkar and the bureaucracy.
"It's now up to the conscience of the 1,000 members of the assembly whether they will take our demands into consideration," Basoeki said.
Under tight security, the long march from Denpasar got only as far as Surabaya before the East Java military command flew the PDI activists back to Bali.
The East Java and Nusa Tenggara military commands had agreed to prevent the long march, saying that security risks were too great.
Immediately after Basoeki declared that the march had ended, the activists regrouped and demonstrated in the House of Representatives compound. Under the watchful eyes of riot police, they unfurled a red banner which read "Megawati must win".
"This is a spontaneous expression of each individual, because as a group we did not lend support to any camps. We just wanted to show our concern for the party," said Basoeki, who joined the cheering crowd.
Willy Najoan, who joined the long march, said that most of the group had pledged their allegiance to Megawati who was dethroned in a government-backed congress last year. The congress appointed former chairman Soerjadi to the party's helm.
"We are now waiting for her (Megawati's) instructions on the general election," said Willy, an account manager of a computer training company.
Megawati loyalist Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno said earlier that Megawati's camp had severed its relationship with Basoeki.
Megawati, who soared to the party's pinnacle in 1994, is believed to have retained the loyalty of many PDI supporters despite Soerjadi's claim that his leadership has full support from the party's grassroots.
Strike
Yogyakarta police and security personnel forcibly dispersed a demonstration by about 200 Megawati supporters at Gadjah Mada University campus yesterday. They confiscated dozens of placards and banners emblazoned with support for the ousted chief of the PDI.
Calling themselves the Committee for Indonesian Democracy, the students said they were hunger striking for Megawati's reinstatement and democracy.
The demonstrators took turns at speaking and reading poems. Occasionally they yelled: "Boycott the general elections."
Witnesses said 23 students and activists were arrested. Several protesters and bystanders said they were beaten by security personnel. (amd/23)