Security lax for Surabaya protest
Security lax for Surabaya protest
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of students at dozens of campuses
continued with anti-government rallies yesterday but, at least in
one city, security was notably lax.
Besides demanding lower prices for basic commodities, students
also chanted for sweeping political reform, including a cabinet
reshuffle, the empowerment of the House of Representatives and a
change in the national leadership.
In Surabaya, East Java, 5,000 students from 17 private and
state universities staged a peaceful demonstration at Dr. Soetomo
University.
Afterward, students from Adhi Tama Institute of Technology,
Putra Bangsa University, Hang Tuah University and Surabaya School
of Economics marched off the campus toward their own
universities.
Each wave of students was accompanied by a solitary traffic
policeman. Riot police remained near their truck, where their
driver slept peacefully.
The yesterday's rally brought up a number of demands,
including a call for a special session of the People's
Consultative Assembly to question President Soeharto on the
economic crisis.
The students also demanded that the five laws which govern
Indonesian politics be revoked, the number of presidential terms
be limited, and the law on subversion be abolished.
Students also demanded the government draft an anti-monopoly
law and establish a special institution to audit the personal
wealth of government officials.
The rally ended peacefully and no arrests were reported.
In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, 3,000 students from
Muhammadiyah University staged a free speech forum on their
campus.
The rally was attended by the university's assistant rector
Sohrah Nasaruddin, who told students to united behind a uniform
vision in their struggle for reform.
She also told students to refrain from taking their rally onto
the street because that could allow other parties to infiltrate
the movement.
Disregarding her advice, the students went on the streets and
marched to the office of the Antara news agency and the
provincial legislative building.
In Palu, Central Sulawesi, 5,000 thousands of students from
private and state universities staged a rally which was marred by
a scuffle with security personnel when the students tried to
march to the provincial legislative council. Fifteen students
were arrested, Antara reported.
In Bandung, West Java, 15 students from the Padjadjaran
University were injured and eight policemen bruised in a clash
that broke out when officers with canes charged students trying
to leave the campus.
Students in the Central Java cities of Semarang and
Pekalongan, and in Medan in North Sumatra staged similar protests
yesterday.
Protests have been taking place almost daily across the
country for the last two months.
Students say crony capitalism centered around President
Soeharto is the main cause of the economic crisis and that the
76-year-old former army general must consequently step down.
Soeharto, who has ruled the country since coming to power in
1966, recently gave security forces the green light to use force
against demonstrators if the situation required such measures.
The military has said it will not allow the protests to spread
off university campuses, and police have thwarted several
attempts by protesters to do so. However, on some occasions they
have stood by and done nothing.
The government has held talks with some student leaders in an
effort to defuse the protests.
But local leaders and political analysts say neither threats
nor appeasement are likely to work. According to Amien Rais,
leader of the 28 million-strong Muhammadiyah Moslem organization,
the students have reached a point of no return and protests seem
likely to continue. (21/30/nur/har/byg)