Students mark Semanggi incident

Students mark Semanggi incident

JAKARTA (JP): About 250 proreform students and activists
commemorated the one-month anniversary of the Nov. 13 Semanggi
incident on Monday afternoon by demanding the government not let
its investigation lapse.

They held a discussion on human rights violations at Atma Jaya
University and the Gita Swara Jaya choir performed several solemn
songs, including Ismail Marzuki's Gugur Bunga (Fallen Flowers),
Guruh Soekarnoputra's Melati Suci (Sacred Jasmine), Allen Pote's
Prayer of St. Francis and Rodgers and Hammerstein's You'll Never
Walk Alone.

The Black Friday incident at the Semanggi cloverleaf, in front
of the Atma Jaya campus, claimed the lives of 10 people,
including eight students, when troops fired on the sea of
demonstrators.

Organizers of Monday's commemoration called for the government
to immediately clarify the circumstances of the shooting and
those responsible.

"We feel that the government has attempted to close the
Semanggi incident. It thinks that by keeping its mouth shut tight
and doing nothing to probe the case, people will forget," student
Pahala of Atma Jaya University said.

Noted activists in attendance, such as Hendardi and Karlina
Leksono, echoed the need for quick closure to the case.

"The government has already taken too much time to reveal the
Semanggi incident," commented Hendardi. (edt)