More students, lecturers join on-campus rallies

JAKARTA (JP): On-campus rallies calling for reform and protesting against the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities gathered steam yesterday as tens of thousands of students and lecturers from nearly 40 universities took part.

At least two minor incidents were recorded in East Java's capital of Surabaya and in Jakarta yesterday, but the protests in Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surakarta, Semarang, Malang, Purwokerto, Ujungpandang and Medan ended peacefully.

No arrests were reported.

About 20,000 students from at least 10 universities in Yogyakarta gathered on the grounds of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) for a free-speech forum which featured numerous noted intellectuals.

Among them were self-styled presidential candidate Amien Rais, senior anthropologist Prof. T. Jacob, Prof. Koento Wibisono Siswomihardjo, political observers Riswandha Ismawan and Afan Gaffar and psychologist Djamalludin Ancok.

Controversial chairman of the Surakarta branch of the United Development Party (PPP) Moedrick Sangidoe was also seen at the gathering.

The "sea of human beings", as one witness described the crowd that flocked to the nation's oldest university, comprised students and lecturers of other universities in the so-called "student town."

They included, among others, the Indonesian Islamic University (UII) and the state-run Teachers Training Institute (IKIP) Karangmalang, Yogyakarta.

Many passersby also joined the gathering which was overseen by hundreds of fully armed riot police and soldiers. Scores of plainclothes security officers also mingled with the crowd.

During the gathering, Amien Rais who is also chairman of the 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah Moslem organization, renewed his warning that the newly endorsed government had six months to fix the country's crisis.

"If they fail to do so in six months, then its power mandate should be returned to the People's Consultative Assembly. It will later hold an extraordinary session to elect a new national leader," Amien said to thunderous applause.

"Why six months? Because we could already judge whether the government is serious about handling the crisis in this period."

The crowd dispersed in peace.

In Surabaya, seven students and a police officer sustained minor injuries during a brief clash.

Scores of riot police beat students with rattan sticks to prevent about 5,000 people from marching onto the streets.

East Surabaya Police chief Lt. Col. Oegroseno said he regretted the incident.

"I guarantee nobody will be arrested," he said.

The students of eight universities gathered on the Surabaya Institute of Technology campus to stage a free-speech forum before marching to Airlangga University, which is eight kilometers away.

Seven students of Airlangga University ended their hunger strike yesterday due to their weakened physical condition. They began their hunger strike a week ago.

In Jakarta, violence broke out when more than 500 protesting students from the Indonesian Social and Political Science Institute (IISIP) tried to march off their campus.

They were prevented from doing so by more than a score of riot police who stood at the campus' main entrance. Some students threw stones at the police but no injuries were reported.

The students later continued their protest during a free- speech forum, voicing harsh words and condemning the government over its handling of the crisis.

Protests in Jakarta were also held at the Indonesian Christian University, the Nasional University, and later in the University of Indonesia in the evening.

Similar protests also continued at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture in the West Java town of Bogor, and at three universities in Bandung -- the Bandung Institute of Technology, Padjadjaran University and IKIP Bandung.

There were also student protests at four universities in North Sumatra's capital of Medan. In Central Java, hundreds of students staged protest at Surakarta's Sebelas Maret University, hundreds of others at the Purwokerto's Soedirman University, and more at the Diponegoro University in Semarang.

Two similar protests were also staged by hundreds of students from Malang's Brawijaya University and IKIP Malang in East Java. The two protests were attended by their rectors who also addressed students during the free-speech forums.

Protests in North Sumatra's capital of Medan also continued yesterday at Sumatra Utara University, IKIP Medan, Catholic University, and HKBP Nomensen University.

In South Sulawesi's capital of Ujungpandang, hundreds of students of the Indonesian Moslem University (UMI), Paulus Teachers Training University (UKIP), and University of '45 also staged similar protests. (23/30/43/21/ivy/emf/nur/har/aan)