PDI and military reach agreement on street rallies
PDI and military reach agreement on street rallies
JAKARTA (JP): The embattled executive board of the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) and the Jakarta military command agreed
yesterday that, following Thursday's bloody clash in the capital,
no more violence would be perpetrated by either side.
PDI deputy secretary-general Haryanto Taslam said at a press
conference yesterday evening that a delegation of seven party
executives met with the chief of the Jakarta Military Command,
Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso, at military headquarters in the morning.
"Considering the large number of victims in the clash, we have
both agreed that it will never happen again," Haryanto said.
Thousands of Megawati's supporters marched through Central
Jakarta on Thursday, demanding that a rebel congress in Medan,
North Sumatra, be halted. It culminated in a clash with security
forces. The incident left more than 100 people injured.
Haryanto said the PDI delegation gave a guarantee that there
would be no more marching by Megawati's supporters. "However, we
can continue holding activities at the party's headquarters," he
said.
The other members of the delegation included deputy chairmen
Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno and I Gusti Ngurah Sara.
During the meeting, Haryanto said, Sutiyoso agreed to act as
mediator and deliver the board's opposition to the congress to
certain government officials.
As quoted by Haryanto, Sutiyoso also confirmed that no PDI
members and supporters would be prohibited from entering the
party's headquarters, as it remains the office of the legitimate
leadership under Megawati.
"We also told Sutiyoso that Megawati's leadership would end in
1998 and any congress held before then is illegal," he said.
The central board claimed yesterday that 73 of its supporters
were injured in the clash, five others are still hospitalized and
48 other supporters were being detained at the Jakarta Police
detention center.
On Thursday, the board also said that one supporter died in
the clash. Yesterday, however, Haryanto said the board had not
received an official report on the person who reportedly died.
The military has said it knew of no civilian casualties but
that stone-throwing demonstrators injured about 50 soldiers.
Separately yesterday, the embattled party chief, Megawati
Soekarnoputri, accused the government of trying to discredit her
and her party. She vowed to continue to head the party and fight
for democracy.
"I am still the democratically elected chairwoman of PDI, who
continues to receive the people's support and that of PDI
chapters throughout Indonesia," Megawati said in a statement read
out by party executive Kwik Kian Gie.
She pledged that as PDI leader she would continue to fight for
democracy and uphold people's sovereignty.
She said that the government's attempt to stifle the people's
democratic aspirations would cause unrest, which will be very
disruptive of law and order.
Megawati also accused the government of implanting agent
provocateurs among the mass of demonstrators on Thursday. These
agents, she said, initiated the stone-throwing at the troops
which led to the violent clash.
"The government has used all the powers and means at its
disposal to try to discredit any and all pro-democratic
supporters," she said.
Megawati said the government-sanctioned campaign to unseat her
has been characterized by "a multiplicity of illegal and
unconstitutional acts".
She cited the active participation of high ranking government
officials and some members of the military in helping to plan and
execute the campaign against her.
She repeated the party's belief that it could garner up to 85
percent of the vote in a free and fair election. She also called
for a joint domestic and international commission to assess and
monitor elections in Indonesia.
The commission should include members of the UN Commission on
Human Rights, the Indonesian Commission on Human Rights, and
other human rights watchdogs, Megawati said. (imn/jun/20/swe/anr)