Military and driver in speech

BANDUNG: The reform movement bore more fruit on Thursday when a becak (three-wheeled pedicab) driver was given a chance to speak on the podium along with a top military official during a ceremony to celebrate the Youth Pledge Day.

The ceremony, sponsored by poll monitoring organization Rector Forum, took place at the Gedung Merdeka. Among the noted figures present were West Java Military chief Maj. Gen. Purwadi, rector of the Institute of Technology of Bandung Lilik Hendrajaya, artist Harry Roesli and poet Taufik Ismail.

In his speech, the becak driver identified only as Encu, told participants that poor people need a better life above all else.

"We do not need a new youth pledge or whatever. All we need is that the government treats us as human beings," Mang (brother) Encu said, amid huge applause from the floor.

Like a good orator, Encu asserted that elite politicians should be held responsible for the recent series of riots across the country. (43)