Students observe Semanggi tragedy
Students observe Semanggi tragedy
JAKARTA (JP): At least 1,000 students from various
universities gathered at the Atma Jaya University campus on Jl.
Sudirman in Central Jakarta on Saturday, commemorating the Nov.
13 shooting incident at the nearby Semanggi cloverleaf, which
killed 14 people including eight university students.
Saturday's commemoration was part of a three-day program,
organized by the Presidium of the Atma Jaya University students
in cooperation with Visi Mahasiswa tabloid, which started on
Thursday. Other programs included a photo exhibition of last
year's violence and a seminar on politics.
Students, in groups, poured onto the university compound
located at the tip of the city's main thoroughfare Jl. Sudirman
from midday on Saturday and traveled either by bus or by marching
from their own campuses. They carried their student groupings'
flags, but no posters and placards were seen.
The committee established a makeshift stage in the university
compound, where students from various groupings sang songs and
read poems, mostly criticizing the military's violence during
last year's incident. Saturday's commemoration started at 4 p.m,
immediately after heavy rainfalls which had showered the city for
three hours stopped.
Harry Rusli, a noted musician, contributed to the
commemoration by reading a poem urging the government and
military police to soon announce the results of the investigation
into the incident and to bring the responsible parties to court.
"Where is the justice after one year has passed since the
shooting incident!" he shouted, winning applause from the
students.
The shooting occurred when thousands of students staged
rallies in front of Atma Jaya University protesting against the
Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly from Nov.
10 to 13, 1998. They clashed with security personnel blocking
their way to the legislative compound in Senayan, about 300
meters west of the cloverleaf.
The students demanded the government and the military police
reveal the truth behind the incident and sentence the parties
responsible for the killing of the protesters.
"The real human tragedy occurred today, as no satisfying
results of the investigation have been revealed so far," said a
statement, read by Hengky, an activist of Famred.
The students also demanded the government disclose the
investigation results on human atrocities in Aceh and other
provinces. (asa/01)