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)