Meeting on democracy turns into brawl

Meeting on democracy turns into brawl

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A seminar on democracy at the Hotel Aryaduta, which strongly
criticized the country's lack of national leadership, ended up in
apparent failure on Tuesday as the forum turned into an ugly
skirmish when members of the Association of Islamic Students
(HMI) began throwing items at one of the participants.

The discussion, entitled "New Direction of Democracy in
Politics and Economy", erupted into a near brawl between the
conflicting camps, who hurled water glasses and insults at each
other. Several participants stood on the tables. Some others fled
the room as the event turned into total chaos.

Three Cabinet members, Minister of Trade and Industry Rini
Suwandi, State Secretary Bambang Kesowo and Minister of
Transportation Agum Gumelar, were at the hotel for their
respective businesses when the incident took place.

The speakers, including lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution, Sjafi'i
Maarif, who chairs the second largest Muslim organization
Muhammadyah, lawyer Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara, political
observer Moeslim Abdurrahman and member of the Democracy Forum
(Fordem) Rahman Tolleng.

Also attending the meeting, sponsored by the Indonesian
Democracy Monitor (Indemo), were former Indonesian Military (TNI)
chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto, chairman of Government Watch (Gowa)
Farid Faqih and student activists from the 1980s Syahganda and
Agustiana -- the two were also known for their link to former
president B.J. Habibie.

Indemo is a non-governmental organization managed by activists
Hariman Siregar, Kastorius Sinaga and Mulyana W. Kusumah.

The speakers had reached a consensus to launch a "social
revolution" against political elites, who they asserted were only
busy with their own ambitions for power.

They later expressed concern that if the situation continued
without any correction, it would only pave the way for the
military to take power.

They also accused the political elites of "losing their minds"
as they continued practicing corruption, collusion and nepotism
at a time when many people in the country were suffering from the
prolonged multi-dimension crises.

"All of our national leaders have failed to bring prosperity
to the people, and I do not think the President -- Megawati
Soekarnoputri -- can bring this country out of the crises.

"It is time for the people to take over her role through a
revolution," Hari Rusli, chairman of the Democratic People's
Party (PRD), told the forum and hundreds of participants gave
their applause.

They later appointed Nasution as "leader of people's
revolution."

The chaos began after chairman of the Indonesian Law Students
Association Dipa, called on the government to make a break with
past political powers by dissolving its major organizations such
as the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI) and the HMI.

Ali Nurman of the Jakarta-based HMI, hurled a glass at Dipa
following the latter's remarks, but it missed the target.

The clash was brought to a halt after Hotel security entered
the hall to separate the combatants.