Tue, 19 Sep 2000

Professionals rally at JSX building

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of people of different professions rallied at the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) building on Monday, condemning last week's bomb attack at the building which left at least 11 dead and dozens injured.

The protesters, including lawyers, bankers, stock brokers and engineering consultants who work at the building and other business centers in the capital, rallied at the main entrance of the 34-story building during their lunchtime.

During the rally, some of them went to the front of the crowd and delivered speeches, condemning the masterminds behind the bombing.

"These professionals want to show their opposition to violence and terror, which have been terrifying society," coordinator of the rally, Hotasi Nababan, said.

Among the protesters were JSX's chief commissioner Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, deputy secretary-general of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Bara Hasibuan and former state minister of investment and state enterprises development Laksamana Sukardi.

Laksamana said that the latest bombing in the capital had tarnished the country's image.

"We now have an image of a barbaric country," Laksamana said at the rally.

"Whoever was behind this bombing, whatever their motives are, they should know that they only killed their own brothers," Laksamana said.

"If they disapprove of the behavior of the government or politics, let's talk and discuss it together."

Laksamana said the bombings had significantly affected economic activities in the country.

"Today, we witnessed the fall of the Composite Index (at JSX)," Laksamana said, adding that the drop was one of the objectives of those behind the bomb attack.

The JSX Composite Index on Monday closed at 411.033, 7 percent lower than closing on Wednesday in which trading was suspended due to the devastating blast in the parking lot in the basement of the JSX building.

Monday's closing was the lowest in 17 months.

The participants of the rally also collected money to be donated to victims of Wednesday's bomb blast.

The dead and injured in the JSX bombing were mostly drivers.

Students

While the professionals were staging a rally at the JSX building, hundreds of students grouped in the City Forum (Forkot) held a protest with a slightly different theme at the same site.

The students in their statement said that former president Soeharto was behind recent bomb attacks in the capital.

"Acts of terror and the spreading of fear were patterns used by Soeharto to retain power," one of the orators said.

"Yesterday they bombed JSX, may be tomorrow they'll blow up our campus or other offices," he added.

The students continued their rally by placing a large banner stating their demands on the lawn, including the immediate arrest of the former president.

The two rallies ended peacefully when the professionals went back to their workplaces and the students left the compound for their campuses.(jaw)