Student-President dialog 'impossible'

Student-President dialog 'impossible'

JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
Affairs Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung dismissed student requests for
a dialog with President Soeharto on the economic crisis and their
demands for reform yesterday.

"It's impossible for the students to hold a dialog with the
President because there are certain state protocols that have to
be observed," Feisal told reporters after chairing the new
cabinet's first meeting on political and security affairs.

The increasingly vociferous student demands for political
reform were on the agenda of yesterday's meeting.

Feisal said the students should channel their suggestions
through their legislative council representatives.

"They could file their petitions with the House of
Representatives (DPR), lower legislative councils, or through
their rectors," he said. "I am sure that the students' advice
will eventually reach the President."

In 1970, President Soeharto used to open the doors of his
residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta, to people seeking
clarification of state matters every Saturday.

On July 18, 1970, a delegation of four University of Indonesia
students -- Mar'ie Muhammad (finance minister from 1993 to 1998),
Arief Budiman, Yopie Lasut and Didi Sunarwinardi -- visited
Soeharto to inform him of their investigation into alleged
corruption in the State Financial Control Agency (Pekuneg).

Feisal expressed regret at the current generation of students'
manners which he described as "unethical and impolite."

"Students are the country's future leaders. They should convey
their thoughts in an appropriate manner," he said, adding the
government would respond to any inputs delivered through the
proper channels.

"The steps so far taken by the government are similar to the
many suggestions that we have received.

"Students should understand that the government will
accommodate their views if they are feasible, and implement their
suggestions if they are urgent," he said.

Normal

Describing the present wave of student protests as normal,
Feisal urged the demonstrators not to take to the streets lest
they stir up people's emotions and their good intentions end up
causing misery.

"If someone throws a stone, others will follow. If the
students want to protest peacefully, there should be no stone
throwing," he said.

Meanwhile, 500 University of Indonesia students staged a
protest on their campus in Depok, 20 kilometers south of Jakarta
yesterday. They condemned nepotistic practices in the recruitment
of the new cabinet.

"We have had enough of nepotism," one of the student banners
said.

Student leader Agus Gede Mahendra told The Jakarta Post that
they would continue the protest until the government responded to
their demands. "We'll continue our protest because this is part
of a long-term struggle," Agus said.

He said they would not take up the Armed Forces offer of
dialog if it was only intended to silence the students.

The two-hour protest ended peacefully under the watchful eyes
of dozens of riot police.

In Central Java, similar protests were staged by hundreds of
students from Muhammadiyah University in Purwokerto, the
Institute of Islamic Studies in Salatiga, Darul Ulum University
in Ungaran and the Veteran Teacher's Training Institute in
Semarang.

Students of the state-run North Sumatra University held a
freedom forum in Medan, North Sumatra.

In Bandarlampung, Albert Hasibuan and Soegiri from the
National Commission on Human Rights visited state-run Lampung
University, Juwendra, a student, said.

Juwendra said the Commission members talked to students about
their clash with security personnel last Thursday. More than 70
students were arrested after the incident.

Attending the cabinet meeting with Feisal yesterday were
Minister of Home Affairs R. Hartono, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ali Alatas, Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces
Commander Gen. Wiranto, Minister of Justice Muladi, Minister of
Information M. Alwi Dahlan, Attorney General Soedjono C.
Atmonegoro and Chief of the State Intelligence Coordinating
Agency (Bakin) Moetojib. (imn/21/45/har/byg)