Student protest on Heroes Day

SEMARANG (JP): Students marked National Heroes Day, which fell on Wednesday, by staging rallies. They picked various themes, ranging from calls for a thorough inquiry into alleged military atrocities to demands for independence.

A group of students rallied against the Indonesian Military (TNI) here. In the peaceful demonstration, the 50 protesters from various universities demanded an investigation into the TNI's alleged involvement in human right abuses in the past.

At the Central Java provincial legislative compound, the group demanded the abolishment of the military's presence in the government from subdistrict to provincial levels. They also protested President Abdurrahman Wahid's choice of military members in his Cabinet.

In the capital of South Sulawesi Makassar, previously known as Ujung Pandang, hundreds of students from seven universities thronged the city's streets to renew their demands for a federal state.

"If the central government turn down our suggestion, then we will push for an independent state in Sulawesi," student leader Munir Pelo from Muhammadiyah University said.

The students also marked National Heroes Day with a visit to the heroes cemetery, cleaning the compound before saying prayers and scattering flower petals on the graves. (27/har/edt)