People enraged by the shooting of four protesting students

JAKARTA (JP): Outrage over the killing of four students at Trisakti University was clearly evident yesterday, with many people demanding top Armed Forces (ABRI) officials make a public apology and be held accountable for the deaths.

Prominent government critics, including Megawati Soekarnoputri, Amien Rais and Ali Sadikin, joined and addressed a gathering of thousands of mourners at the university.

In addition to expressing condolences and paying tribute to the students killed, the critics agreed the incident should serve as a springboard for even greater efforts for reform.

"What the students have been demanding is the same as what the PDI (Indonesian Democratic Party) has been demanding," said Megawati, the ousted chairwoman of the tiny party. "I have been keeping silent because there had not been a uniformity of emotions. With this incident, let us feel the same emotions and unify our aims.

"Let us build unity among students, the people and ABRI to continue (with our demands for) reform," she said.

"This is a national mourning," said Ali Sadikin, leader of the Petisi 50 group of government critics.

"Don't let the students die for nothing. It is now time for everybody to move together for reform," said renowned poet W.S. Rendra in the same gathering at Trisakti.

Amien Rais reiterated his earlier call for ABRI to immediately decide whether it should take sides with the majority or continue in its current stance of protecting the interests of only a handful.

"Whoever shot the students committed crimes against humanity. The troopers have used their weapons and armored vehicles, bought with the people's money, to oppress the people," said Amien, the chairman of the 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah Moslem organization.

"I am calling on the soldiers not to shoot (again). I am calling on students to continue demonstrating until the goals of reform are achieved."

Emil Salim, a former cabinet minister whose bid for the vice presidency earlier this year failed, called for the establishment of an independent fact-finding team which would include personnel from the National Commission on Human Rights to investigate the deaths.

"This repression must stop because it has trampled upon the dignity of the people. We demand a change in leadership," said Karlina Leksono, Indonesia's first astronomer who has been actively protesting the government's handling of the economic crisis.

"Enough is enough," former student leader Hariman Siregar told the gathering at the Trisakti campus.

Resignation

In addition to numerous individuals expressing their grief, anger and shock over the killings, groups of activists also issued critical statements of ABRI and the government over the incident. Some also demanded the government's replacement.

In a joint statement, 12 prominent non-governmental organizations, including the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), the Indonesian Consumers Organization (YLKI), women advocacy groups Kalyanamitra and Solidaritas Perempuan (Women Solidarity), called on ABRI to never use weapons or bullets to threat, torture or kill people.

"We pray that the students who died, died as martyrs," the group said. "We state our full support for calls for total reform that the students, intellectuals and other components of society have been voicing," said the group.

Separately, more than 100 researchers at the state-run Indonesian Institute of Sciences joined the chorus of condolences and "demand the resignation of President Soeharto as a requirement for reform".

A statement signed by 109 respected scholars, including political scientist Mochtar Pabottingi, Muhammad AS Hikam and historian Taufik Abdullah, condemned the "massacre" by security personnel.

The researchers intercepted State Minister of Research and Technology Rahardi Ramelan, who was just about to end his working visit to the institute, and directly conveyed their message to him.

In a statement, the staff of the University of Indonesia said: "The burden of responsibility for the deaths of the students lays with the whole ranks of ABRI and the government."

Over 100 lecturers from the university went to the House of Representatives demanding an investigation be conducted. They said the investigation must be transparent and its results clearly made available to the public.

Among the lecturers seen attending the meeting with members from the Golkar faction were Emil Salim, Saparinah Sadli, Miriam Budiardjo, Selo Soemardjan, Todung Mulya Lubis and Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who wept openly when asked by the media to comment on the incident.

They said they would suspend teaching activities in the university for three days from today to express their condolences and sorrow over the incident.

"We also demand that those responsible for the shootings be punished, including the commanders of those in charge of the security at the Trisakti incident."

A joint statement signed by various legal and advocacy associations, such as the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, the Indonesia Women's Association for Justice and the Civil and Political Rights Advocacy Foundation, maintained that the incident was not a violation of field procedures but originated from the repressive approach adopted by ABRI to deal with the protests.

"We implore ABRI's leaders to show their responsibility concerning the incident," the joint statement read.

Mourning

Artists and intellectuals grouped in the Utan Kayu Community, led by senior journalist Goenawan Mohamad, also condemned the killings and called for a week of national mourning.

"Along with public leaders such as Amien Rais, Megawati Soekarnoputri, Emil Salim and Ali Sadikin, we are calling for a week of national mourning," the group said in a statement signed by, among others, poet Sitok Srengenge.

Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid and a number of his friends from various organizations, including philosopher Franz Magnis Suseno, called on the community to observe a moment of silence at noon today.

"For just one minute, let us say our prayers then," said Abdurrahman, the chairman of the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization, in a statement. "Violence will not be solved by violence, and wounds will continue to bleed."

The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) called for a national week of mourning with flags being flown at half-mast from today.

In a statement signed by executive director Hendardi, the association "strongly urge for a thorough political accountability of President Soeharto as supreme commander of ABRI".

The Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) called on all parties to show restraint and for the government, the legislature and all decision makers to respond to the problems now facing the people.

Signed by deputy chairman Ali Yafie and 31 other prominent ulema including Ilyas Ruchiyat, the council also called on students and intellectuals to continue voicing their aspirations in a peaceful way.

Reason

Former finance minister Mar'ie Muhammad said in a statement that he was "distressed" at seeing clear signs that the government intended to resolve the student protests using an authoritarian and forceful approach.

"Based on recordings aired on television, there was no reason for police to take such measures (shootings) against the students," he said. He added that other television footage showed how one wounded demonstrator lying on the ground was kicked by passing security officers instead of being helped.

Deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights Marzuki Darusman told The Jakarta Post that he saw "no reason whatsoever why the shootings should have happened. No justification whatsoever for these killings."

"In this case, somebody must be held politically accountable for the security forces. There should be no more excuses, no defensive statements from the government blaming it on the situation, or even blaming it on their subordinates," he said.

But he rejected suggestions that President Soeharto be held accountable.

"There must be a functional responsibility (from those in charge of Jakarta's security)," he said, adding that the blame should not necessarily be put on Minister of Defense/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto. (jun/mds/swe/emy)