Students call for mass strike against Gus Dur

JAKARTA (JP): Some 1,000 activists grouped in the University of Indonesia Student Executive Body (BEM-UI) began a campaign on Friday for a general strike on Monday to put pressure on President Abdurrahman Wahid, also known as Gus Dur, to resign.

In their motorcade from the UI campus in Depok, West Java to the university's old campus in Salemba, Central Jakarta, the students distributed leaflets urging students from other universities, school students, lecturers, teachers, professionals, ulemas, workers, farmers, drivers, parents, political observers, public figures and non-governmental organization activists to join the strike.

BEM-UI chairman Taufik Riyadi said the citywide campaign would last until Monday, with a huge rally against the fuel price hike in front of Merdeka Palace capping the three-day move.

"We have seen Gus Dur's government plunging to its lowest ebb in terms of effectiveness. That's why we are inviting all elements in society to join hands in demanding that President Abdurrahman Wahid resign." Taufik said on Friday.

He said the student movement would remain a moral force and eschew pursuing political interests.

"We don't care who the next president is since we will always position ourselves in opposition to the government," he asserted.

He said that even if Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri took over, the BEM-UI would remain critical for the sake of reform.

"A transfer of power does not necessarily guarantee that reform will be upheld," he said.

He further asserted that the BEM-UI had yet to identify the right figure to replace Gus Dur as most politicians were prone to lying.

If the plan goes as expected, some public figures will join thousands of students in Monday's rally and strike. Taufik did not identify the figures.

The protesters, Taufik said, would march to the House of Representatives after the demonstration in front of the palace.

Taufik said, however, that he would reconsider the plan if the people gave the students a cold shoulder.

Responses

Noted labor activist Muchtar Pakpahan told the Jakarta Post that he opposed the planned strike and had asked workers to shun the students' call.

"A strike will only cause industry to crumble and it is the workers who will suffer," Muchtar, chairman of the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union, asserted.

He said Gus Dur did not deserve the blame and his ouster would not solve the crisis facing the nation.

"It is the MPR who should be held responsible. What is wrong is the presidential election process employed by the MPR," he said, referring to the 700-member People's Consultative Assembly.

Muchtar suggested that the country bring forward the general election in order to resolve the protracted crisis.

Separately, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council Amidhan said he could accept the strike as long as it was aimed at saving the nation.

He said the bloodshed in Sampit and Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan was another sign of the serious disease the nation was suffering from that urgently needed a remedy.

"I still believe the students represent the interests of the people," he said.

Acting governor Djailani said on Friday that the city administration had made preparations for the planned strike.

"We have consulted with the City Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ) and security authorities in order to prepare for the strike," Djailani, who is also Deputy Governor for Social Welfare Affairs, told reporters.

He called on all city administration employees to work on Monday as extra buses, including some supplied by the military, had been prepared in case public transportation drivers joined the strike.

He also asked the Ministry of National Education's Jakarta office to call on junior and senior high school students to attend school as normal.

DLLAJ head Buyung Atang also called on bus operators to operate on Monday, although he failed to announce any measures to be taken against those who participated in the strike.

"It's only a moral sanction. The strike is pointless as it will only cause problems for the ordinary man in the street," Buyung said.

He claimed that the owner of the Mayasari bus company, Mahfud, had pledged to keep his 750 buses operating next week. Other bus operators, such as state-run bus firm PPD, had also followed suit.

He said that police officers would be deployed at bus stations to prevent students from obstructing buses.

There are currently some 2,000 buses operating on the city's streets. (01/jun)