More students protest at embassy
More students protest at embassy
JAKARTA (JP): The Russian Embassy became the target of
Moslem students again yesterday, as they continued protesting
Moscow's military actions in Chechnya.
Around 70 members of the Communication Forum for Jakarta
Moslem Students (FKMIJ) marched to the embassy carrying banners
and posters condemning President Boris Yeltsin and the activities
of his troops in the mainly-Moslem region.
As in a previous demonstration by other students on Tuesday,
yesterday's protest was staged to demand the withdrawal of
Russian troops and the recognition of Chechnya's independence.
"Long live Chechnya! Down with Yeltsin, violator of human
rights!" the students shouted. "Indonesia, sever all ties with
Russia!"
They also condemned the United Nations and Secretary General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali for their "inaction" regarding the crisis.
The students demanded that their statement be delivered to
the embassy's representative, but nobody from the embassy
ventured out of the building.
They then marched to the nearby UN representative building,
and sent three students in to meet with resident representative
A.O. Frismark, who took their statement.
"We demand that Indonesia and other nations boycott all
Russia's interests in their respective countries," said the
statement, read by another disgruntled student. "We demand they
sever all diplomatic ties with Russia."
"No independent state should have diplomatic ties with
nations which are endangering humanity and another state's
freedom," they added.
They even called on the Indonesian business community to
sever trade relations with Russia.
Frismark told the students he would forward their letter of
protest to Boutros- Ghali.
The students told reporters they intended to "closely watch
the UN's reaction" and that they would hold even bigger protests
in the near future. Students from various cities in West Java,
including Bandung, are also planning to join future protests.
Security was tighter than in the Tuesday's protest and
dozens of police officers barred the students from approaching
the embassy's gate.
First Lt. H. Sianturi. W.P. of Central Jakarta police
precinct told The Jakarta Post that some 50 officers were
deployed to patrol the protest which started at around 11:00 a.m.
"We already knew that there would be another protest today
and some of the officers had been there since six a.m.," he said.
During their short march to the UN building, the students
received cheers from passers-by. Students on city buses going
down the busy Jl. Thamrin thoroughfare spontaneously yelled and
lifted their fists upwards in approval. (swe/mas)