'Political scenario' cited behind protests

'Political scenario' cited behind protests

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces
Commander Gen. Wiranto said on Wednesday that a "political
scenario" was behind a demonstration on Sept. 7 and stoked
reports of riot police bayoneting students.

Held in front of the House of Representatives, the
demonstration was the first since students occupied the House in
May in their effort to force Soeharto from the presidency. He
resigned on May 21.

Students Muhammad Yanuar Abdi of the School of Social and
Political Sciences (IISIP) and Herry Djoko of the National
Institute Science and Technology (ISTN), both in South Jakarta,
were hospitalized for wounds inflicted by sharp objects.

The two students filed complaints at the National Military
Police headquarters on Tuesday.

Wiranto was quoted by Antara news agency as expressing
disbelief and clumping the demonstration as part of a scenario.

"Two days before the demonstration, there was already
information that two people would get injured by ABRI (Armed
Forces)... I heard the news two days before," Wiranto said at a
House hearing on the draft law on freedom of expression.

Based on the information from an undisclosed source, Wiranto
said he instructed police to counter the demonstration using only
masks, shields and batons. Just as he had been forewarned,
Wiranto said a demonstration involving 2,000 people did occur
with the aim to reoccupy the House.

"We saw the gate knocked down, because of their eagerness, and
they stayed put until late night in front of the gate."

He said he instructed police to drive away demonstrators so
that House members could work in peace. "At about 2 a.m. we began
to push them away so they would leave the gate."

He said the confrontation descended into a shoving match
between police and students. The next day, media reports said two
students were bayoneted.

"This is a fact (the forewarning of the bayoneting)... it
really happened. There was news of this two days earlier,"
Wiranto said. At the time, police insisted they were only
carrying batons.

"I say (there were) political scenarios involving force and
pressure... intended to make us feel insecure," he added,
without identifying the orchestrators.

Wiranto said incidents such as the Sept. 7 protest led to the
necessity to control -- "but not to contain" -- freedom of
expression.

"Controlling freedom so that freedom of expression should not
be absolute, but there should be limits to it."

The draft submitted on Friday by the government followed the
House's rejection of the controversial draft of an emergency
government regulation in lieu of a law.

One of the few differences with the earlier draft is that a
police permit is required for demonstrations involving more than
100 people, instead of 50.

The third reading of the draft law was chaired by Aisyah
Amini, the Commission I chairwoman. Among attendants were
Minister of Justice Muladi, National Police chief Lt. Gen.
Roesmanhadi, and ABRI Chief of Staff for general affairs Lt. Gen.
Fachrul Razi. (anr/byg)