Students urge government to put a stop bloodshed

Students urge government to put a stop bloodshed

JAKARTA (JP): About 200 students protested in front of the
Ministry of Defense and Security, demanding the government and
the military take firm action to resolve recent incidents of
unrest because of the threat to national unity.

"If President B.J. Habibie and Armed Forces Commander Gen.
Wiranto fail to halt the continuing unrest, they'd better
resign," said Alawy, a coordinator of the protest led by the
Communication Forum for Greater Jakarta Student Senates.

Alawy reiterated the nation's leaders were responsible for
effecting a solution to ethnic and sectarian discord which has
claimed hundreds of lives over the last few months.

Terming Habibie's administration "a transitional government",
Alawy urged leaders to guarantee the June general election would
be conducted freely and justly.

"No free and fair election can be accomplished unless the
government and the Armed Forces succeed in halting the recent
violence," he said.

Protesters also urged the government to give greater autonomy
to all regions on political, economic and cultural affairs as
part of an overall solution for the battered nation, which they
believed was on the brink of disintegration.

"Violence is caused partly by the absence of equal
distribution of the fruit of development between the central and
regional governments," the protesters said in a media release.

Guarded by about 50 riot police officers at the Central
Jakarta ministry, they unfurled banners and posters, with
messages including: "Disintegration-Federation, No, Unitary
State, Yes" and "Peace for Indonesia. Stop the Nation's
Disintegration."

A caricature compared Habibie with former Soviet leader
Mikhail Gorbachev, blamed by some for the disintegration of the
Soviet Union in 1991.

Protesters chanted "Long live students" and sang heroic songs.

Others distributed leaflets and statements to passing
motorists and public transportation passengers.

Four representatives of the protesters failed in their quest
to meet Wiranto to convey their grievance.

Col. Dasiran, who received the four representatives at the
ministry building, told them that Wiranto was busy attending a
special meeting. (01)