Students protest in various cities

JAKARTA (JP): Students took to the streets of many cities for various reasons on Thursday, with Jakarta witnessing at least two large rallies focusing on President B.J. Habibie.

In Depok and Bogor, two towns south of Jakarta, student rallies also occurred -- both demanding the abolition of the Armed Forces (ABRI) dual-role doctrine which enables it to play both security and political roles.

Other student protests took place in the West Java capital of Bandung, the Central Java capital of Semarang, the North Sumatra capital of Medan, and in Yogyakarta where a group of Indonesian Islamic University (UII) students managed to enter and convince the state-owned RRI radio station to broadcast their statements.

Most of the protests demanded immediate action to end people's suffering caused by the economic crisis.

In Jakarta, about 4,000 people demonstrated in support of Habibie on Thursday, a day after the government warned it would take stern action against anyone found guilty of subversion or secession.

Two hundred police peacefully blocked the group from marching to the House of Representatives from a nearby sports ground in South Jakarta. The demonstrators dispersed after they got to within 200 meters of the legislature.

Separately, at the University of Indonesia campus in Central Jakarta, 3,000 students protested and blamed Habibie for the continued economic crisis and accused the military of human rights abuses.

The student leaders called on university students in other provinces to join the series of demonstrations, which started at the beginning of the month. Also attending the rally were the chairman of an association of the university's alumni, Hariadi Darmawan, and economist Sri Edi Swasono.

The protesters at the prestigious college called on the powerful Armed Forces (ABRI) to leave politics and concentrate solely on national defense.

Free speech

In Bogor, a group of 25 local students who called themselves the Coalition of Antimilitarism People (Koramil) held a free speech forum in front of the Kujang monument on Jl. Pajajaran, where they voiced their demand that the military's involvement in politics be brought to an end.

"With the dual-role concept as its excuse, ABRI has placed its people in the legislatures, as vice president, ministers, governors, company commissioners, regents and others. With its weapons, the military assisted capital owners to appropriate farmers' and common people's land," activist Deni said.

In Semarang, dozens of students who called themselves the Students for Justice held a demonstration outside the provincial legislature, demanding the government take immediate action to end the crisis that has caused thousands of children to go hungry and remain neglected on the streets.

"Please help poor children from going hungry," said the students in a banner they unfurled while marching within the complex. The students also protested the fact that thousands of children had to drop out of school because their parents could no longer afford to keep them there.

"What will happen? We'll have ill-health and stupid younger generations," Sumartono said. "Stop officials' wasteful trips -- both local and abroad -- and use the money to feed the children."

In Yogyakarta, at least 400 students of the Indonesian Islamic University marched from their campus to the radio station and held a demonstration there.

Their leaders managed to convince the station to broadcast their statement, which was relayed by five commercial stations.

The students demanded that former president Soeharto be taken to court and his wealth confiscated to finance the government's programs to restimulate the economy and assist the poor.

They also demanded that ABRI be barred from politics.

In Bandung, hundreds of Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) students gathered at their campus, pledging to initiate an open society as the result of total reform.

Rector Lilik Hendrajaya said that as the pioneer, ITB would turn its campus into a learning society. "Hopefully, this will encourage the growth of an even wider open society," he said.

The faculty also recommended the establishment of the ITB Reform Council, whose task would be to convey the campus' aspiration on reform to national forums. The body would be manned by members of the campus who were independent from the institute's management. (24/23/43/44/har/swe)