Soeharto gives students new reminder

Soeharto gives students new reminder

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has again urged students to
return to their studies, reminding them that university campuses
were built for learning not staging nonacademic activities.

The President noted that if the current succession of student
demonstrations and rallies continued it would disrupt the
teaching process.

"The president remarked that campuses were built as learning
institutions to prepare leaders of the future," Maj. Gen. Tyasno
Soedarto told journalists after meeting with Soeharto at Bina
Graha presidential office here yesterday.

"Of course with the recurring demonstrations the process of
learning is disturbed on the campuses," the newly installed
commander of the Diponegoro Military Command said, quoting
Soeharto.

Tyasno and his predecessor, Maj. Gen. Mardiyanto, met with the
President to report on the change in command.

Tyasno was installed Monday, while Mardiyanto was promoted to
assistant to the Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs.

Yesterday's caution for students to return to class was the
third made by the President this week.

On Wednesday, Soeharto through Minister of Education and
Culture Wiranto Arismunandar told students to return to their
studies because the nation badly needed their skills and
leadership in the future.

The following day, the President, in a written address at the
46th anniversary celebrations for the Army's special force
(Kopassus), said the security apparatuses could use repressive
measures to deal with demonstrators in a critical or emergency
situation.

Tyasno yesterday vowed to employ persuasive and educative
approaches with students in his area of command -- Central Java
and Yogyakarta.

"They (demonstrations) are still tolerable as far as they are
carried out in accordance with the rules of the game," the two-
star general said.

The area of Tyasno's new command has witnessed some of the
bloodiest clashes recently between students and security forces.

At least five police officers and a dozen youths were injured
in Yogyakarta early this month when about 2,000 students clashed
violently with 500 security personnel.

Separately, visiting United States Assistant Secretary of
State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Stanley Roth expressed
hope that the demonstrations could proceed peacefully with both
students and authorities exercising restraint.

"The most important thing is that students express their
feelings peacefully and there is an ability from the authorities
to avoid violence," he said, adding that officials have assured
him of their wish to keep the demonstrations peaceful.

"I emphasize the importance of continuing restraints on the
part of the authorities in terms of dealing with the
demonstrations," Roth said. "Obviously, the U.S. supports freedom
of expression."

Speaking to journalists at a media briefing here yesterday,
Roth also stressed the need for an effective dialog between
students and authorities to be established.

He also called on the Indonesian government to investigate the
case of the missing activists.

He said he had appealed to Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali
Alatas and other officials to investigate. "I urged them to do
this as soon as possible."

According to Roth, the officials he has met with have
indicated "they understood the seriousness of this issue and are
taking steps to clarify the status of the disappeared".

Roth, during his stay, has met with, among others, Vice
President B.J. Habibie, Minister of Environment Juwono Sudarsono,
and Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry
Ginandjar Kartasamita. (prb)