Students protest in various cities

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)