Student rallies at campuses not wrong: Sjafrie
Student rallies at campuses not wrong: Sjafrie
JAKARTA (JP): The city military commander, Maj. Gen. Sjafrie
Sjamsoeddin, said yesterday that staging rallies at campuses was
not wrong but he encouraged students to make their protests
through the appropriate channels.
"I suggest that young college students communicate their
aspirations to those (certain people or institutions) who have to
listen to them.
"So don't waste your time by rallying on the street," he said
after receiving a Rp 500 million donation from private automotive
firm PT Kramayudha Tiga Berlian to supply basic commodities to
needy people and the families of ABRI personnel safeguarding the
city during the General Session.
As intellectuals and future statesmen or stateswomen, students
should not heighten the public's anxiety by staging protests in
public places, the two-star general said.
"If they are ready with a solution for a certain matter,
please submit it to the right people or institutions in a
practical way and don't use a method that has a great risk of
provoking social unrest," Sjafrie said.
In the past few days, a series of student demonstrations have
been recorded at the campuses of some of the country's top
universities, including University of Indonesia in Jakarta, and
Gadjah Mada University and Islamic University of Indonesia, both
in Yogyakarta.
The students demanded the government immediately reduce the
price of basic commodities and implement economic and political
reforms.
The rallies, also staged by professors and senior lecturers,
came only days before tomorrow's start to the General Session of
the People's Consultative Assembly. The 1,000-strong Assembly is
to endorse the 1998/2003 State Policy Guidelines and elect a
president and vice president.
Sjafrie said military personnel would not intervene or ban on-
campus rallies.
He also guaranteed that the military would not take severe
action against the protesting students as long as their rallies
remained within the universities' compounds.
"Go ahead, because such activities are under the campuses'
authority."
But, Sjafrie warned the students against possible intervention
by certain radical parties which plan to disrupt development and
the people's sovereignty, including disturbing the General
Session.
"The theme of all the rallies was the soaring prices but,
behind the scenes, they might be incited by certain interests,"
he said without elaborating.
"I could prove that there are plans (to disrupt the General
Session)."
He named some potential parties which are believed to have
plans to interrupt the General Session such as the government-
banned Democratic People's Party (PRD) and some NGOs that were
pursuing democratization and human rights enforcement.
Sjafrie said the military would take persuasive, educative and
severe measures against the parties responsible.
(09)