Massive protests expected at House on Thursday
Massive protests expected at House on Thursday
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of people, supporters and opponents of
President Abdurrahman Wahid, are almost certain to flock to the
House of Representatives building on Thursday when the House
plenary session is scheduled to discuss two scandals linked to
the President.
Among them are at least 5,000 students from various
universities in Java, including the University of Indonesia (UI),
Trisakti University and the Bandung Institute of Technology.
"We will come in the same numbers as on Monday. It won't be
less," the president of Trisakti Students' Union, Andre Roseade,
told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Andre said groups of students from outside Jakarta were
staying at the Salemba campus of UI in Central Jakarta, and were
ready to march on the House building.
On Wednesday, hundreds of students staged a rally at the
campus, demanding the cleansing of the old regime, the upholding
of the reform vision and the preemption of a new authoritarian
regime.
They placed more emphasis in their demands on the cleaning up
of the old regime, amid accusations by UI alumni that they were
being "paid" by a certain group to urge the President to resign.
Former alumni chairman Hariyadi Dharmawan earlier demanded the
eradication of the new order regime and the banning of the Golkar
Party as a symbol of that regime.
Meanwhile, National Awakening Party (PKB) deputy secretary
general Chotibul Umam Wiranu said that he could not guarantee
that Abdurrahman's supporters would not resort to physical force
to keep him as president.
"We live in a paternalistic culture. If something happens to
their leader, we cannot stop them from expressing their
discontent in their own way. This can be very dangerous,"
Chotibul told journalists on Wednesday.
He cited that in Pekalongan, Central Java, there had been a
small clash between those in favor of and those against
Abdurrahman. Such incidents could happen again in the future if
the grass roots thought that various parties were trying to
overthrow Abdurrahman, he said.
Chotibul underlined that the PKB had made many attempts to
encourage the President's supporters to stay out of political
controversies, but if the special committee tried to force its
way, then people would flood the capital.
Police
Separately, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf
said that at least 1,100 security personnel were already deployed
in and around the MPR/DPR complex in Central Jakarta.
They consisted of 400 officers from the National Police's
elite mobile brigade (Brimob), 400 officers from the Jakarta
Police and 300 soldiers.
"If the need arises, we'll increase the number of officers in
the area," he said.
The police are prepared to deploy 100 police negotiators in
the field on Thursday, to face rowdy demonstrators.
"Our attitude will be to negotiate without resorting to the
use of force. If the protesters persist and use any kind of
weapon to attack us, we will take action," he said.
Meanwhile, waves of anti-Abdurrahman protests continued on
Wednesday in several cities.
In the West Sumatra capital of Padang, scores of students from
Bung Hatta University reiterated their demands for an independent
Sumatra and Gus Dur's prompt resignation..
Carrying mock gallows and an effigy of the President, the
protesters yelled "Independent Sumatra" and "Gus Dur resign".
The demonstrators, led by the secretary of the student senate,
Yarsi Sonif, then staged a parody of a people's court to try (the
effigy of) Gus Dur. The trial ended with Gus Dur in the gallows.
In Makassar, violence almost broke out when some 200 anti-
Abdurrahman demonstrators tried to break through a police
barricade barring them from entering the South Sulawesi
legislative council building.
The students grew angry after Comr. Marjuki, who was in
command of the police at the council compound, said that only 25
students were allowed to meet with legislators.
The officers tried to stop the students with their batons. The
peak of the protest was when the students of the University of
'45 burned a bier with a chair (symbolizing the presidential
seat) placed on top of it. A large picture of the President was
also set ablaze. "Makassar students will continue demonstrating
until Gus Dur quits and the birth of the second reform movement
is brought about," spokesman for the students Al Mandari
asserted.
He said that another large protest would take place on
Thursday.
In Bogor, hundreds of students from the Bogor Agricultural
Institute (IPB), Pakuan University and Juanda University,
converged at the main gate of the Presidential Palace demanding
that Gus Dur step down immediately. They also lashed out at the
political elite for using violence and anarchy to achieve their
goals.
"Gus Dur must quit voluntarily if he is found guilty in the
Bulog and Brunei scandals," a student said in a speech.
A large group of police officers managed to prevent the
students from entering the palace.
The students also availed of Wednesday's demonstration to
discuss their plan "to occupy" the House in Jakarta on Thursday.
In the East Java capital of Surabaya, anti- and pro-
Abdurrahman groups unexpectedly met at the provincial legislature
on Wednesday. No clashes were reported.
Some 200 people, claiming to be from the People's Group for
Total Reform and Anti-New Order, moved from the Bungkul Park,
which is close to the Nahdlatul Ulama head office on Jl. Raya
Darmo, to the legislative council.
Yelling anti-New Order slogans, the protesters criticized
Amien Rais, speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly who is
known as the staunch critic of Gus Dur.
After they had spent about one hour "occupying" the
legislative council grounds, another group consisting of around
200 students from various universities arrived at the scene to
stage a protest against Gus Dur.
"We ask the DPR (the House) to stick to the reform movement's
goals; creating clean and good governance," Debi, the students
coordinator, said.
About 200 riot police kept a close watch on the demonstrators
closely. (team)