Syarwan urges end to protests against Habibie

Syarwan urges end to protests against Habibie

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid called on
citizens to cease street demonstrations demanding that President
B.J. Habibie step down.

While admitting that street demonstrations played a part in
the downfall of Soeharto's regime in May, when students across
the country took to the streets, Syarwan said "mass-mobilizing"
activities should not serve as a precedent to changing national
leadership.

"If people continuously stage street demonstrations, when can
the nation settle the economic crisis and continue its delayed
development programs?" he said, after addressing the opening of a
two-day coordinative meeting of the country's 27 provincial
governors. Several demonstrations have been staged this month
demanding, among others, that Habibie step down and that prices
of basic goods be lowered.

The minister said that street demonstrations, staged in the
post-Soeharto state leadership era, lacked legal grounds and
substance. He also said the protests were out of date, now that
Soeharto had stepped down.

He supported earlier allegations by police that there were
parties supporting students to change President B.J. Habibie's
administration. He cited the discovery of documents near a
demonstration site urging people to join the move to change
President Habibie's administration, but did not refer to a
particular demonstration site.

Syarwan, however, declined to mention the group or individuals
who were behind the movement, suggesting that investigation into
the matter and possible legal prosecution was part of the Armed
Forces headquarters' duties. (imn)