Students demand constitutional reforms

Students demand constitutional reforms

Kurniawan Hari and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) entered its sixth day, thousands of student protesters
staged a rally outside the Assembly building here on Tuesday
demanding that the lawmakers proceed with and endorse crucial
amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

The students, grouped under the student executive bodies from
a number of universities and loose student groupings in the
Greater Jakarta area, started the rally at about 8:30 a.m. by
unfurling posters and banners which read, among other things,
"Anti-amendment equals anti-reform," and "Amendment is needed for
a clean and legitimate government."

"Continue the amendment process, safeguard the reforms!", the
students shouted.

Among the students participating in the rally were groups from
the University of Indonesia (UI), University of Jakarta (UNJ),
Trisakti University and the Indonesian Muslim Students Action
Front (KAMMI).

As the situation became tense, security personnel stayed alert
with at least three armored vehicles parked near the front gate.
Barbed wire was also rolled out to prevent protesters from
entering the MPR compound.

Later in the day, as the protesters proceeded to the
building's main front entrance and tried to break through in an
effort to enter the legislative compound, police personnel used
water cannon to drive the protesters back. No injuries or arrests
were reported.

The Assembly is holding its 10-day Annual Session during which
it is to decide on the amendment of several crucial articles of
the Constitution with a view to, among other things, instituting
direct presidential elections and changing the make-up of the
Assembly itself.

Also on the agenda is the proposal by several Islamic-based
political parties that the seven words of the Jakarta Charter be
inserted into the Constitution, thereby accommodating the demand
from some quarters for sharia.

As reported earlier, more than a hundred legislators have
signed a petition asking for a halt to the amendment process and
for a return to the unamended 1945 Constitution.

Fifteen students representing the protesters eventually
entered the Assembly building at 12 midday, and asked the
legislators to meet the protesters outside the compound.

The students asked for the politicians' assurances that they
would complete the amendment process and remain committed to the
reform agenda.

"You (legislators) must put your signatures to a document
guaranteeing continued constitutional reform. Its signing must be
witnessed by the protesting students," said Marbun, an activist
from the University of Indonesia (UI).

Ten legislators agreed to meet the students' demands and left
the Assembly building escorted by the student activists. They
were Jakob Tobing of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) faction; Fahmi Idris, Theo L. Sambuaga and Andi
Mattalata of the Golkar Party faction; Ali Masykur Musa of the
National Awakening Party (PKB) faction; Zein Badjeber of the
United Development Party (PPP) faction; Asnawi Latif of the
People's Sovereignty Party (PDU) faction; Harun Kamil of the
Interest Groups faction; Ahmad Sumargono of the Crescent Star
Party (PBB) faction; and Oesman Sapta Odang of the Regional
Representatives faction.

Upon their arrival at the front gate of the Assembly compound,
no cheers greeted the legislators. Instead, the students turned
their backs and jeered them.

One of the protest leaders attempted to calm down the
protesters and asked Jakob Tobing, who chairs Commission A on the
amendment of the Constitution, to deliver a speech.

"The PDI Perjuangan will unite to press ahead with
constitutional reform," Jakob said.

As the rally in Jakarta ended in a minor clash between student
protesters and security officers, members of the student
executive body from the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology
(BEM-ITS) voiced their demands for the continuation of the
amendment process to the East Java Provincial Legislative Council
in Surabaya on Tuesday.

"The amendment of the 1945 Constitution is mandated by the
reform movement for a just and egalitarian Indonesia," said BEM-
ITS president Nugroho Fredivianus during a meeting with three
East Java provincial councillors as quoted by Antara.