Students vow to take to the streets again

Students vow to take to the streets again

JAKARTA (JP): With outraged students threatening to begin a
new round of protests after Friday's shooting death of a
colleague, human rights activists, student organizations and
university administrators condemned the government and military
on Sunday for the bloodshed from two days of mass street
protests.

The groups demanded that President B.J. Habibie, Minister of
Security and Defense/Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen.
Wiranto and legislators who ended their term of office on Friday
be held responsible for the deaths of the student, five other
civilians and a police officer. Demonstrators clashed with police
after the House of Representatives approved the state security
bill on Thursday.

The University of Indonesia alumni association, Iluni-UI
Jakarta, said Habibie and Wiranto should be held accountable for
the deaths, which included University of Indonesia student Yap
Yun Hap.

"We call for all people to fight against the tyranny of the
Habibie-Wiranto regime and fly their flags at half-staff to
express their condolences over the incident," Budi Arie Setiadi,
Iluni chairman, said.

Iluni demanded that TNI and the National Police be held
responsible for the unrest.

"We also strongly protest the security forces' brutal attack
on the university campus in Salemba (on Saturday evening)," Budi
added.

The University of Indonesia called for the authorities to find
and prosecute the perpetrators of the shooting in accordance with
the law.

"Our deepest condolences go to all the relatives of the
victims," the university's administrators said in a release.

"We deeply regret the incident. Let's remember that violence
will not solve anything. We urge all related parties to restrain
themselves and not be easily provoked by anyone."

The Advocation Team of the Student Movement (Takwa) said the
military committed "repressive actions" against the thousands of
protesters who took to the streets of Jl. Gatot Subroto and Jl.
Sudirman in Central Jakarta through "butchering, shooting and
beating".

"We therefore demand that all legislators and 'reform'
government of B.J. Habibie be held accountable for the
shootings," Takwa said in a statement.

Takwa is a loose alliance of three groups -- the Indonesian
Legal Aid and Human Rights Foundation, National Solidarity and
the advocation team of Indonesia Christian University .

"The incidents of Sept. 23 to Sept. 24 illustrate that
militarism is still dominant in this country. Either consciously
or not, the legislators and Habibie's administration have let the
Indonesian Military invade the public sphere and paralyzed the
civilian movement," the group said.

Takwa demanded the complete revocation of the bill.

Students across the country protested the bill, which they
charge provides the military with excessive powers, in the last
three weeks before the House's scheduled approval on Thursday.

Students increased their protests, with the support of many
members of the public, after it became clear that the bill would
be passed by the House.

Clashes which began after the bill was passed on Thursday
lasted until midnight. They resumed the next morning and
continued Friday evening. The military announced on Friday night
that enactment of the bill would be postponed.

Over 100 protesters required hospital treatment for their
injuries, with about 40 remaining in police custody.

Apart from Yap Yun Hap, the civilians shot dead were Fadly,
20, an employee of Surveyor Research Indonesia; Zainal, also 20,
a resident of Subang, West Java; Jumadi, 12, a street child;
Salim, 28, a resident of Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta; and
Denny Yulian, a 1998 graduate of Satya Wacana University in
Surakarta, Central Java.

The policeman was killed after being struck by a speeding van.

Police have said the unrest was masterminded by several groups
and individuals, all of whom have denied the accusations.

The Democratic People's Party (PRD) said: "PRD rejects the
allegation of masterminding the protests against the state
security bill. This accusation is merely the old rhetoric of the
regime in looking for a scapegoat."

City Forum (Forkot) also attributed the accusation to a
government effort to shift blame.

Meanwhile, students have asked for classes to be suspended on
Monday, apparently to allow them to resume their protests about
the bloodshed and to call for the revocation of the bill.

Joko Harpanto, dean of the University of Indonesia's School of
Technology, was quoted by AP on Sunday as saying that the school
would be sympathetic to the students' demands.

"We have announced three days of mourning. We will have a
class, but if they want to have a gathering, that's OK," he said.

"I have to accommodate their emotions." (edt/bsr)