Student protests go on in several cities

Student protests go on in several cities

JAKARTA (JP): Students in several cities, in a move resembling
their colleagues' stand in Jakarta recently, are occupying local
legislative councils to make their demands heard.

While those in Jakarta took over the House of
Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly building in order
to press former president Soeharto to resign, those in Jambi have
been occupying the provincial legislature and governor's office
in their fight against rampant gambling.

Students in Ujungpandang, the capital of South Sulawesi, are
occupying the legislative council building to demand that
Governor Z.B. Palaguna, whom they considered corrupt, to step
down.

Antara reported from Jambi, the capital of Jambi, that dozens
of students of Sultan Thaha Saifuddin Institute for Islamic
Studies have entered the fourth day of their occupation of the
legislative building yesterday, while those from Jambi University
camped out at the governor's office.

On Saturday, they held free speech forums lashing out at
authorities who have allowed various forms of gambling to
flourish in the province of 2.4 million. The capital's population
is 412,000.

Both groups said separately that they would not budge until
the authorities burned down all slot machines.

Joeslin Nasution, a legislator of the United Development
Party, joined the free speech forum staged by the IAIN students
and pledged to bring the students' demand to the attention of the
House.

Provincial council chairman Chaeruddin was also supportive of
the students' demand and said his office would pressure the
military to get rid of all gambling machines.

In Ujungpandang, hundreds of students from 42 universities
occupying the provincial council building are demanding that
Governor Palaguna be held accountable for what they described as
rampant corruption, collusion and nepotism in the province.

They said that they would not leave the building until the
governor stood down.

"We also demand the auditing of local officials' wealth," said
Muh Ichsan, chairman of the Association of Makassar Students .

Maj. Gen. Suadi Marasabessy, chief of the Wirabuana Military
Command overseeing Sulawesi, joined a free speech forum staged by
students on Saturday but reminded them that the provincial
council had no authority to sack the governor.

Only the president has authority to sack a governor, he said.

Kallo Bandaso, the provincial council's deputy chairman, said
he would bring the students' demand to the provincial council and
consult the governor about it.

"The students' demand will be channeled to the central
government, although it is not the provincial council's stance,"
he said.

Separately, Palaguna said that he would allow himself to be
audited.

He said that all local officials were also expected to
volunteer to do the same if needed.

In Surabaya, East Java, nine soldiers were punished for their
"disciplinary actions" in handling student demonstrations. There
were no details given about the violation but some student
demonstrations in the province had been handled forcefully by the
military.

Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman, chief of the Brawijaya Military
Command overseeing East Java, said that the nine soldiers were
serving detention sentences of two week.

"Soldiers should be strict in enforcing the law but on the
other hand, strict actions will certainly be taken against those
violating the law," he said yesterday after briefing 1,000
military and police officers in the city. (37/rms)