Students take to streets despite military's warnings

JAKARTA (JP): Despite the military's continuous warnings to stop off-campus demonstrations, thousands of students took to the streets across the country yesterday demanding immediate reforms and lower fuel prices.

No fatalities were reported but dozens of protesters were injured during clashes with security forces.

Unlike their colleagues staging peaceful protests inside campus grounds, some of the street protesters burnt tires and wood to express their frustration over the government's slow response to their demands for total reform.

In some cities, numerous high school students, who have just taken their final examinations, joined the antigovernment rallies. This caused serious traffic congestion and led many people, particularly shop owners, to temporarily close their businesses.

In Jakarta, tens of thousands of students from both state and privately run universities staged individual street rallies and on-campus protests, which were immediately contained by police and troops.

"I don't want Jakarta to become Medan," City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata told reporters, referring to the rioting in the capital of North Sumatra.

"I personally put my job and my entire responsibility into this matter," he said.

State Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs H.R. Agung Laksono also urged students across the country to stop taking to the streets to voice their demands.

"It's better to stage rallies on the campus or list the demands or hold a dialog (with state officials)," the minister said.

Thousands of students from six universities in southern Jakarta joined a rally at STIE Gunadarma campus on Jl. Akses UI in Depok and spilled over onto the street.

The sea of protesters managed to march 150 meters to welcome fellow students from Jayabaya University before their way was blockaded by security officers.

The students threw stones at the security officers, who replied with batons, warning shots and tear gas.

At least 21 students were injured in the incident.

In East Jakarta, 700 student protesters at the privately run Indonesian Management Secretarial Academy (ASMI) and the Indonesian Maritime Academy (AMI) were forced by the security forces to stay off the streets.

Also in East Jakarta, 100 students from the Jakarta Teachers Training Institute staged a noisy but peaceful antigovernment rally on their campus.

Student leaders -- standing on a balcony of the faculty of social sciences -- listed their criticisms over the government, including the way ministers had handled the economic crisis and the decision to increase fuel and electricity prices.

One assistant dean and several lecturers joined the protest, urging the students to keep up their pressure for economic and political reform.

"Never give up hope ... students, lecturers and the public should unite," one lecturer said.

A student was seen collecting money to help finance colleagues who were injured in Saturday's incident during a clash with security personnel when they were trying to take the rally on to the street.

At least 30 riot police were seen outside the campus.

Officer

A plainclothes security officer, later identified as Sgt. Teguh, was seized by the students inside the campus compound when he was found possessing a fake student card, a gun and a walkie- talkie.

Like their colleagues at the Teachers Training Institute in Jakarta, thousands of university students from various institutions in the West Java capital of Bandung joined two separate rallies held in the compound of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the private Parahyangan University.

A number of ITB's professors were seen mingling with the students in front of the campus, airing support for the student protests.

Also in West Java, 500 students and alumni of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture held a free-speech forum at the Darmaga campus.

In Surakarta, Central Java, thousands of students clashed with security personnel when they tried to march off the Surakarta Muhammadiyah University campus.

At least 11 students and 40 security personnel were injured. Two students and one security officer were rushed to the nearby hospital for treatment.

Similar street protests were also held by students from various universities in Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Semarang.

In the South Sulawesi capital of Ujungpandang, around 20,000 students from 17 universities packed the streets on motorcycles, cars, buses and trucks.

Shops were hastily closed by their owners, worrying that the street rally would turn into a riot. The traffic in the city was totally paralyzed as some of the students blocked the streets.

At least 10 students were arrested by police for disturbing public order.

In the East Kalimantan capital of Samarinda, hundreds of students from the state Mulawarman University flooded the city's narrow streets, voicing the same demands.

Shops, banks, restaurants and other business activities were immediately closed to prevent serious incidents.

A clash took place on Jl. Agus Salim when security personnel blockaded the students' route.

A number of students and officers were injured and nine students were arrested. A vehicle owned by the local government was damaged.

Student demonstrations calling on the government to implement political and economical reforms flared up across the country in February following the rupiah's collapse and the resulting hike of essential goods and services nationwide. (team)