Students rally to deny communist accusations

JAKARTA (JP): A huge number of students staged massive rallies in Jakarta on Wednesday, apparently to reject accusations leveled by various parties that their actions were being exploited by those who followed the communist ideology.

"We want to announce here that our actions are not being exploited by communism," Ardian, an action coordinator from the Indonesian Christian University, said.

The Indonesian Christian University students were among around 1,000 members of the Forum Kota, an association of students from 37 universities in Greater Jakarta, who rallied in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) on Jl. Gatot Subroto in Central Jakarta. During the rally the students demanded a reduction in the price of basic commodities.

"We want the government to take drastic measures to lower the price of basic foods because the people are under severe strain," Ardian was quoted by Antara as saying.

He said the government under President B.J. Habibie could go on for no longer and should hand over power to a transitional committee consisting of "clean" figures.

About six hundred members of the security forces, including armed soldiers and police officers, formed a heavy cordon outside the building to prevent students from approaching the main gate.

The rally created heavy traffic jams when security officers blocked the main road and tollway in front of the House and diverted traffic onto the nearby Jl. Gerbang Pemuda.

The students later demonstrated on the tollway, waving national flags and distributing leaflets entitled "Transitional Power for Economic Recovery" to passing vehicles.

The leaflets said that the students rejected the extraordinary session scheduled to be held by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in November.

The students also invited people to support their plan to establish the Indonesian People's Committee (KRI) as a transitional government that would prepare for the general election.

They held up placards reading: "Reject Habibie, Bring Soeharto to Court", "Habibie: Soeharto's Puppet", "Extraordinary Session = Idiot Episode", "Lower the Prices now", "Bring back People's Sovereignty", "Return ABRI (the Armed Forces)'s role as soldiers of the people" and "Forum Kota is not Communist but a Group of Virtuous Students".

After about four hours of making speeches and singing on the road, the students dispersed peacefully and pledged to return until their demands were met.

Meanwhile, around 100 other people staged a protest on the University of Indonesia's central campus on Wednesday to demand lower prices of basic commodities.

Members of the university's alumni association along with a number of alumni from other universities called on the government to take the necessary measures to cope with the impending food crisis.

"Just tell people the truth if the government really does not have money to buy food," Meilono Siswondo, a representative of the Bandung Institute of Technology, said.

Sri Edi Swasono, a University of Indonesia lecturer, told the crowd that Wednesday's protest was a preliminary step toward consolidating campuses throughout the country and launching a peaceful struggle for thorough reform.

The two hour protest ended without disruption. Dozens of riot police stood guard outside the campus.

The University of Indonesia's student senate in Depok also issued its own stance.

"We hope that the students remain independent in playing their role as a major pressure group and that they convey their demands maturely and with the people's welfare in mind. They must guard against anarchist influences," the senate said in a statement.

"We also remind students to continue with their struggle consistently and on moral and intellectual grounds alone," the statement said.

A 65-year-old man making his way along Jl. Gatot Subroto toward Slipi in West Jakarta said that he had no objection to the students' rally.

Dodi, a 27-year-old lawyer who missed his flight to Manado in North Sulawesi on Wednesday afternoon as a result of the demonstration, said he still supported the student movement. (byg/ivy)