Student groups insist on holding rally on May 12

Student groups insist on holding rally on May 12

JAKARTA (JP): Student groups from several universities
insisted on Friday they would hold a street rally on Wednesday to
commemorate the Trisakti University shootings.

The rally will be held "because the military is not serious in
revealing the truth behind the bloody shootings," an activist
from Forum Kota (Forkot), Mixil, said at Sahid University on Jl.
Supomo, South Jakarta, on Friday.

Forkot is a loose alliance of 30 student groups from
universities throughout Jakarta.

Mixil also lashed out at military atrocities in other parts of
the country, including Aceh and East Timor, where he said human
rights abuses were rampant.

"These facts reaffirm our intention to hold the rally," he
said.

Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman asked
students on Thursday to call off the rally. The rally is being
planned in observance of the first anniversary of the Trisakti
shootings, in which security personnel opened fire on protesting
students, killing four.

Djadja expressed fears the event would be used by individuals
or groups seeking to spark a clash between student demonstrators
and security personnel.

Djadja issued his warning after student groups announced plans
on Tuesday to mobilize thousands of students for the rally.

An activist from the Committee of Students and People for
Democracy (Komrad), Sofyan, said the most effective way to fight
for democracy and demand the military complete a thorough
investigation into the Trisakti shootings was through the rally.

"Soeharto resigned as president on May 21 because of the mass
action of the students," he said.

The Trisakti shootings sparked major riots which forced
president Soeharto to step down on May 21 after 32 years in
power.

Sofyan also said Komrad would not alter its plan to mobilize
its members for the rally.

An activist from the Collective Forum, Anton, said his
organization would participate in the rally despite the military
warning.

"From a political point of view, the rally is needed to
directly show the people our concern," he said.

Commenting on the possibility of provocateurs using the rally
to cause unrest, Anton said: "Many military personnel have acted
as the provocateurs in a number of rallies we have held."

Another Forkot activist, Bopin, said his forum had a special
technique to spot provocateurs at rallies.

"We will separate them (provocateurs) from the students as
soon as we recognize them at the rally," he said. (01)