Students call for Wiranto resignation nation-wide

Students call for Wiranto resignation nation-wide

JAKARTA (JP): Demonstrations continued nationwide on Monday to
demand Armed Forces' accountability for the arbitrary shooting of
protesters in Jakarta. Tens of thousands of students also
demanded an end to the Armed Forces' (ABRI) dual role doctrine
justifying military interference in virtually all spheres of
life. Many called on Minister of Defense and Security/ABRI
Commander Gen. Wiranto to resign.

Some groups warned against efforts to provoke students into
anarchy. In Ambon a clash with security officers led to seven
students being hospitalized.

In Jakarta Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono
had said Monday that some "radical" students had deliberately
provoked others before the shooting.

From Ambon Antara reported that at least seven students of
state-run Pattimura University (Unpatti) were admitted to
Dr. Haulussy hospital here Monday night after a clash with
security forces in front of the local military command.

Witnesses said students were beaten by security personnel with
wooden sticks as they were passing the command on Jl. Diponegoro.
The seven seriously wounded students were Muchlis Fataruba,
Muhammad Taher, Said, Upi, Khalik Rumkel, Jerry Pattiwael and
Stevanus Apituley. Ten others were arrested for questioning and
scores of buildings were pelted with stones.

Hundreds of students had occupied the local RRI radio station
and forced broadcasters to air their demands at 6:30 a.m.

A few hundred students in Jakarta with groups such as Alliance
for People's Democracy (Aldera) and the Committee to Save
People's Economy marched with residents to the house of former
president Soeharto on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.

The protesters demanded trial for Soeharto for abuses of
power, on which was blamed all tragedies even after he stepped
down in May. They were stopped at Surapati Park by Marines who
said students' safety could not be guaranteed if they pressed on.

At the House of Representatives some 75 students from
Jakarta's Islamic Studies Institute met with United Development
Party faction leader Faisal Baasir at the gates. Faisal said
their demands that Wiranto resign following the death of 15
including seven students on Thursday and Friday "would serve as
reference to the faction."

Another few hundred students including those from the National
Front protested at the Jakarta Legal Aid Office while Bogor's
Pakuan University students were prevented from entering the city
near the Jagorawi toll entry. A group of Gunadarma University
students heading for the House of Representatives were stopped at
the front of the Jakarta police headquarters on Jl. Sudirman.

In Bogor students aired their demands of investigation into
the Semanggi tragedy through the state-owned RRI radio station.

At Trisakti University, West Jakarta, some 500 students said
prayers for the victims. Trisakti is where four students were
shot in May, also victims of troops firing on a peaceful rally.
The killings remain unexplained.

Representatives of 15 campuses and student groups who gathered
there demanded the end to ABRI's dual role and Wiranto's
accountability for abuse of human rights. They also demanded
speedy investigation of former president Soeharto and appealed
for restraint in the face of "all anti-democracy provocation."

In Medan, student marches targeted the state-run TVRI
television station in Medan, the North Sumatra branch of the
ruling Golkar party, the Bukit Barisan military command and the
state-run RRI radio station.

Medan students had earlier occupied the Polonia international
airport which led to damage of facilities after they could not
contain crowds who joined in.

Students of St. Thomas University declared the shooting of
students in Jakarta and Bandung, along with the shooting of the
Trisakti University students in May proof of ABRI's
unaccountability. They demanded the end to ABRI's sociopolitical
role and reiterated a call for Wiranto to resign.

Students of the North Sumatra University rallying in front of
the RRI station, also rejected the Special Session results of
Nov. 10 through Nov.13. At the Bukit Barisan military command,
which oversees Sumatra, students presented a wreath to the deputy
of operations there, Lt. Col. Chairuddin Aziz.

Dozens of students of the Front of Indonesian Moslem Students'
Action told members of the provincial Golkar that Golkar, the
Assembly's largest faction, had "betrayed" the people and also
demanded Wiranto's accountability.

In Purwokerto, Central Java, some 7,000 students pledged a
strike since Saturday in protest at the Semanggi massacre. They
were from the Gen. Soedirman University (Unsoed), Wijaya Kusuma
University and the Purwokerto Islamic Studies College.

"We will strike for a week and we demand Wiranto's
accountability for the tragedy. President B.J. Habibie must also
apologize," the Senate head of Unsoed, Kundiyarto said. On
Saturday thousands of students had occupied the Banyumas military
command. Wijaya Kusuma rector Iswanto supported the strike.

"Who else would fight for their colleagues if not students
themselves?" he asked.

Some 10,000 students marched in Yogyakarta to demand the end
of ABRI's dual role. Coordinated by the Students' Solidarity for
People's Sovereignty, they packed the famed Jl. Malioboro for
four hours. But business went on as usual.

"Do not let this case be closed," shouted Imam, a protester
from the Indonesian Islam University. For 30 minutes students
managed, after tough negotiations with the military commander, to
enter the palace to raise a flag at half mast and hold a mourning
ceremony.

In Padang, West Sumatra, thousands of students demanded that
Wiranto resign and that Golkar immediately apologize for past
sins and "dissolve." They marched for five kilometers towards the
military command, but violence occurred as some students
shattered the glass windows of the provincial Golkar office.

In Semarang, Central Java, effigies were burnt in anger at the
Semanggi killings. Hundreds of students raising similar demands
grouped in the Semarang Young Generation's Forum caused a two-
hour congestion around the Simpang Lima center.

Antara reported that in Manado, North Sulawesi, some 500
students from various universities rallied in front of the local
military command. Students called for the abolition of the decree
adopted by the recent Assembly session justifying the
representation of ABRI in the legislature. They also called for
the accountability of former president Soeharto for his abuse of
power.

In Bandung students also marched in the thousands in heavy
rain to the governor's office in Gedung Sate and raised a flag at
half-mast.

In Kupang, East Nusa Teggara around 1,000 students occupied
the local council and set up a "shadow parliament."

Two students lowered the flag there to half-mast in honor of
victims in Jakarta. They pledged to occupy the council through
Tuesday to wait for the council speaker, and stated rejection of
the Assembly session results. (team)