Makassar protesters raise Sulawesi separatist flag
Makassar protesters raise Sulawesi separatist flag
MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): Thousands of student protesters
here forced Governor HZB Palaguna to witness on Monday the
lowering of the red-and-white national flag and the hoisting of a
green flag of an independent Sulawesi state during a rally at his
office.
"The flag was raised at the Governor's office to symbolize
that the local government recognizes the establishment of an
independent Sulawesi state," Iswari Al Farisy, the spokesman for
Makassar Students Forum, told The Jakarta Post.
The green flag bears the map of Sulawesi island.
The students, from various universities across the city,
returned to the streets after a semblance of calm on Sunday. They
began the demonstration on Thursday.
"We are not playing games nor showing off force or seeking
popularity. We seriously want to establish a free Sulawesi
state," Alimuddin of the Muslim Makassar University said.
In Monday's protest, the students took to the streets in a
motorcade. They burned tires along the way to the gubernatorial
office and staged a demonstration in front of the Kompas daily's
representative office, accusing the paper of not showing
professionalism in its coverage.
After hours of negotiations, Governor Palaguna, who initially
resisted a demand to attend the ceremony, stepped out of his
office under tight security to see the students.
The students also sang the national anthem Indonesia Raya,
but changed "Indonesia" to "Sulawesi".
Palaguna is scheduled to fly to Jakarta on Tuesday to meet
President Abdurrahman Wahid to discuss the four days of protest,
SCTV reported.
Many have regarded the protest as an emotional outburst after
the province's local hero, former president B.J. Habibie, failed
to run for the presidential race, but others believe the demand
was a true public aspiration.
A lecturer from the Jakarta-based State Academy of Islamic
Studies (IAIN), Azyumardi Azra, said the four days of protest in
the province was a part of the accumulated problems of the
country.
"The demand for a free state is only the tip of the iceberg of
problems and disappointments that have never been resolved by the
central government," Azyumardi said.
A People's Consultative Assembly legislator, Jusuf Kalla, said
the students' demand for a separate state should be seriously
taken into account, although many suspect that the movement was a
short-lived phenomenon.
"The demand is one of the manifested public aspirations," said
businessman Jusuf, a Golkar legislator who represents the
province.
He called on the country's newly elected leaders, Abdurrahman
Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri, to not immediately accuse the
students of waging treason.
A local sociologist and anthropologist from the Hasanuddin
University, Abu Hamid, suggested that the government consider
offering provinces wide-ranging autonomy or endorsing a federal
state, which would be better than separating from Indonesia.
"The choice of having a federal nation is better than
disintegrating this nation into several free states," Hamid said.
Assembly Speaker Amien Rais supported Hamid's view.
"Federalism gives more room to human rights protection, fair
revenue sharing and decentralization of power," Amien told a
group of students who claimed to represent the Eastern Indonesia
Community Forum on Monday in Jakarta.
During the meeting, the students read out their statement to
get the government's attention on what they called past
injustices.
"For decades in Indonesian history, Javanese leaders were
elected unopposed," regretted forum leader Abdul Hafid Parorda.
"After all these wasted opportunities, the only way to achieve
justice and a state of welfare in a new Indonesia is to set up a
federal state or to be free."
Meanwhile, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto
urged the students on Monday to stop their rallies and restore
peace.
"There is no use to demand an independent Sulawesi or an
independent Makassar," Wiranto told an audience of 12,000
military and police officers in a speech at the Senayan Sports
Complex on Monday morning.
"The government and the Indonesian Military (TNI) reached an
agreement at the General Session that Indonesia will remain as
one and that Sulawesi is to be a part of it."
"Personally, I understand that these demonstrations are
emotional expressions of current times. One should never take
possibly irrevocable steps based on emotion."
Wiranto urged the nation's residents to honor the decision
taken in the country's highest legislative body, and urged the
students to work at keeping the country free of unnecessary fear.
(27/30/04/05/emf/ylt)