People enraged by the shooting of four protesting students
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)