Protesters say no to sharia, constitutional amendments

Protesters say no to sharia, constitutional amendments

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Hundreds of people rallied in front of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR)/House of Representatives (DPR)
complex on Thursday to reject amendments to the 1945
Constitution.

The protesters also rejected demands for the inclusion of
sharia in Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution.

The protesters came from Front Pembela Proklamasi 45 (the 1945
Proclamation Defenders Front), Gerakan Rakyat Menolak Amandemen
UUD 1945 (the People's Movement against Amendments to the 1945
Constitution) and Gerakan Nasional Rakyat Indonesia (the National
Movement of the People of Indonesia, or GNRI).

Six were finally allowed into the MPR building and they met
with members of Commission A. The commission is finalizing
deliberations on several crucial items in the fourth amendment,
including a proposal for the imposition of sharia. The proponents
of sharia have submitted two alternatives: the first to include
seven words from the Jakarta Charter in Article 29 of the
Constitution, the second to use sharia as the basis for the
Constitution.

According to the protesters, the Unitary Republic of Indonesia
is in a state of near-collapse because the amendment process has
gone beyond control. The resulting amended Constitution has
deviated from the spirit of the nation (as stated in the preamble
to the unamended Constitution), and is therefore a betrayal of
the country's founding fathers.

"We are not against amendments in principle, but the process
has gone too far," said regional GNRI secretary Karyono, without
elaborating.

GNRI has also rejected the adoption of sharia into the
Constitution.

"We have to be fair. Indonesia is a diverse nation and the
adoption of sharia could lead to national disintegration,"
Karyono said after the rally.

"We must return to the original article. Mas Amien (MPR
Speaker Amien Rais) has also agreed to return to the original
article," he added, as quoted by Antara.

Meanwhile, another group of protesters accused the Golkar
Party of conspiring with other elements of the MPR to stall the
amendment process. They demanded, therefore, that the party be
dissolved.

The protesters, grouped under student executive bodies from a
number of universities including Trisakti and Atma Jaya, and
loose student groupings in the Greater Jakarta area, charged that
the MPR and Golkar were not serious in implementing the reform
agenda.

No violence was reported to have occurred during the rally.

This was the third day of rallies held to coincide with the
10-day Annual Session of the MPR, with most protesters demanding
endorsement of the fourth batch of amendments.

The largest rally took place on Tuesday, when thousands of
students demonstrated outside the Assembly building, demanding
that lawmakers proceed with and endorse crucial amendments to the
1945 Constitution.