Students vow to rally until vital changes are achieved
Students vow to rally until vital changes are achieved
JAKARTA (JP): Students who have temporarily abandoned their
studies and families to attend unrelenting antigovernment rallies
have vowed to continue protesting until substantial change has
been achieved.
Senior student representatives told The Jakarta Post on
different occasions late last week that the batons, tear gas and
rubber bullets of the security forces will not stop their marches
demanding immediate reform.
"We will continue our rallies until President Soeharto steps
down and total political and economic reform has been properly
implemented," Rahmatullah L.N., a student leader at Attahiriyah
Islamic University in East Jakarta, said.
Burhan, a student from Syarif Hidayatullah Institute of
Islamic Teachings (IAIN) in South Jakarta, said most people were
frustrated and had lost faith in all constitutional ways of
channeling their aspirations.
"That's why we have been able to keep up such prolonged
demonstrations," Burhan, who has been assaulted by security
officials on a number of occasions, said.
Students also expressed skepticism over the government's
pledge to reform because significant change had yet to be felt in
the community.
"If Soeharto was serious about reforming, he would have
delivered significant results felt by all the nation by now,"
Rahmatullah said.
Students believe that government rhetoric must not be allowed
to parry widespread popular demands for reform.
Riza Setiawan of Muhamaddiyah University said he and his
friends had vowed to continue demonstrating because they had
learned that reforms, as desired by society at large, had yet to
be carried out.
"I have to admit that my friends and I are getting tired of
staging protests, but our will to go on is always lifted when we
see that reforms have not yet taken place," he said.
Anita R., a student demonstrator from Trisakti University,
said protests must continue in order to "waken-up" the
government.
"For many years, they (the government) never listen to the
people. They seemed to have some kind of allergy to criticism.
"Students have been a quiet group, alienated from any
important role in this country for a long time. So even if I'm
tired, thousands of other students will continue to stage rallies
until reforms are made," the 22-year-old girl said.
Nationwide student demonstrations, which now involve many non-
student participants, began in late February in response to the
rising price of essential goods and services in the aftermath of
a plunge in the value of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar.
The recent government decision to increase the price of oil,
gasoline and electricity has added to the nation's anger because
of the knock-on effect on the price of goods and services
throughout the economy.
Indonesia has approximately 2.5 million students and 1,400
universities. A number of universities have temporarily suspended
normal activities.
Some students said their parents worried about them during
demonstrations.
"But eventually they stopped worrying and said 'please don't
die on us, just get a safe job after you graduate'", Budi S.
Pramudya from Mercu Buana University said.
Burhan said he had been away from home for almost two weeks,
during which he had slept in friends' houses.
"I send messages to my family through friends telling them
that I'm safe and sound," he said. (edt/ivy)