Students rally to protest rising market prices

Students rally to protest rising market prices

JAKARTA (JP): More than 1,500 students from two prestigious
universities rallied yesterday, protesting the soaring prices of
basic commodities and demanding economic and political reform.

Students and alumnae of the University of Indonesia and their
counterparts from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, 600
kilometers to the southeast, held the rallies at their respective
campuses.

They blasted the government for the economic crisis which they
said was the result of a digression from the New Order's founding
ideals.

The 500 Jakarta students and former students sang patriotic
songs on their campus on Jl. Salemba in Central Jakarta, read out
scathing statements, and capped the event with a gesture of scorn
toward the New Order administration by covering up with black
spray paint a large billboard inscribed: Welcome to the Campus of
the struggle for New Order.

In 1966, University of Indonesia students spearheaded rallies
that helped topple the Old Order administration under then
president Sukarno, and ushered in the New Order administration
under President Soeharto.

The 1,100 Yogyakarta students prayed together before marching
along the boulevard of their campus, waving placards and
unfurling banners that were critical of the government.

The University of Indonesia alumnae said in their statement
that in the last few five-year development programs there had
been a digression in the orientation and strategies of the
national development.

"The alumnae of the University of Indonesia hereby confirm
their commitment to be the nation's intellectual citizens who
respect their conscience and, together with the people and the
Armed Forces, pledge to fight to ease the suffering of the
people," the statement said.

In another statement, the protesters accused the government of
going against the Constitution and the soul and spirit of
democracy. They further charged that the administration had
abused people's trust.

"The country's bankruptcy is caused by the misdeeds of the
government," they said in the second statement.

Among the alumnae seen mingling with the yellow-jacketed
students were former University of Indonesia rector Mahar
Mardjono, who is also a member of the presidential team of
doctors, and economist Sri-Edi Swasono. The alumnae's statement
was read out by the chairman of the alumnae association, Hariadi
Darmawan.

"This rally is an expression of the intellectual and moral
power of the University of Indonesia," Edi told reporters on the
sidelines of the rally.

Both the Jakarta and Yogyakarta students demanded a succession
of the national leadership and that the government be held
accountable for the current crisis.

Hundreds of police and troops were deployed around the two
campuses yesterday. According to Antara, six students were
detained after the Jakarta demonstration.

Separately, Cosmas Batubara, a student leader during the
uprising in 1966, deplored yesterday the erasing of the
inscription on the billboard. He said the gesture could be
interpreted as if the students were trying to erase facts from
Indonesian history.

"If today's young generation wants to make its own history,
they do not need to erase the past," he said. The former cabinet
minister said that his generation never scolded older generations
the way the students did yesterday.

"We live in a democratic country. Let bygones be bygones," he
said, adding that he did not put the blame on the students but on
a widening communication gap.

"Today's students need to communicate regularly with their
seniors," he said. (23/emf/imn/byg)