Public conveys hopes to the new president

Public conveys hopes to the new president

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the inauguration ceremony of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
Jusuf Kalla was being broadcast throughout the archipelago, 75-
year-old Mardiyem closed the two-and-a-half-page letter she had
written in Javanese to the new administration:

"The previous administrations have neglected us ... Through
this letter, I ask you to urge the Japanese government to issue
an official apology to us and ask that your administration care
more about us."

Mardiyem and two friends, Suharti, 75, and Lasiyem, 80, are
the only ones left of the 49 Yogyakarta women who were taken from
their families to live in concentration camps and to serve as sex
slaves to Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Mardiyem was 13 when she was taken to a camp run by the South
Kalimantan Japanese command in 1942. She was released after
Indonesia declared independence in August 1945.

Although the Japanese government has provided compensation
through the Indonesian government to the comfort women, or juugun
ianfu in Japanese, doubts remain that it reached the victims.

Upon the change of guard at the presidential palace on
Wednesday, many marginalized individuals such as Mardiyem,
activists and nationwide organizations held peaceful rallies to
convey their hopes, aspirations and demands to the Susilo
administration.

In Jakarta, the Indonesian Muslim Student Front (KAMMI)
reminded Susilo of his campaign promise to fight corruption, to
uphold supremacy of the law and to improve people's welfare.

"We and the people will be watching you during your first 100
days in office," the students chanted during a rally outside the
People's Consultative Assembly, where the inauguration of
President Susilo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla was taking place
on Wednesday morning.

KAMMI's rally was followed by another held by hundreds of
members of the People's Movement for Law Supremacy (Humanis) and
the Student Executive Bodies (BEM) of universities in Greater
Jakarta.

Meanwhile, in Bandung, the National Students Front (FMN)
demanded that the new administration focus on the education
sector, as six million children dropped out of primary and
secondary school in 2003.

The Surabaya chapter of KAMMI urged Susilo not to appoint
those implicated in the abuse of state funds to his Cabinet, as
they had contributed to the country's massive foreign debt.

"We also want the new administration to uphold civil supremacy
and stand by the people (not political parties)," the students
said.

Another group, Barisan Oposisi, comprising the Democratic
People's Party (PRD) and the National Democratic Students League
(LMND), urged the new administration to try military officers
involved in human rights abuses and to withdraw troops from
conflict-torn Aceh and Papua in a bid to open doors to a more
democratic, peaceful resolution to the separatism issue.

In addition, "The new government should be independent from
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other donor groups,"
the group demanded.

Activists and residents of Madura Island, East Java, are
waiting for the new administration to annul the controversial
plan to construct a nuclear power plant on the island, as
promised.

"In his campaign on Madura, Susilo said the nuclear power
plant was the last resort to meet Madura's power demand. The
island has safer, natural resources, which are still untapped, to
build a fuel power plant or geothermal power plant big enough to
light the island," said a Madurese activist, Mutmainah.