Thousands protest outside DPR complex

Thousands protest outside DPR complex

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of activists and students demonstrated
at the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly
complex yesterday, loudly demanding that the assembly convene an
extraordinary session and arrange a general election.

The protesters also demanded that former president Soeharto be
tried for alleged corruption, and that his successor, President
B.J. Habibie, resign.

Arriving in droves, the 2,500 protesters demanded to see House
Speaker Harmoko but were barred from entering by 1,000 military
and police officers stationed inside the complex.

Undeterred the activists began a demonstration in front of the
compound which caused heavy congestion on Jl. Gatot Subroto.

The students, calling themselves the Greater Jakarta Forum of
Students, arrived outside the house building in 30 buses, which
they used to tour the city when they had finished demonstrating.

Among the ranks of the protesters were 200 supporters of
leading opposition figure Megawati Soekarnoputri. They demanded
that a general election be held to recruit new House members
because the current legislative body had been "elected
unconstitutionally."

The group cited the way in which Soeharto's administration had
excluded members of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) loyal
to Megawati from last year's general election.

The government only recognizes the PDI grouping chaired by
Megawati's rival, Soerjadi. Megawati was ousted as the party's
leader in a government-sponsored congress in Medan, North
Sumatra, in 1996.

A group called Barisan Merah Putih and 70 activists from the
Indonesian Women's Coalition for Justice and Democracy also
joined the rally. The women were lead by lawyer Nursyahbani
Katjasungkana and Women's Solidarity chairwoman Taty Krisnawaty.

Before going to the House, the female activists staged a rally
in front of the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas)
office on Jl. Imam Bonjol in Central Jakarta, and demanded that
more money be allocated to provide food for the people.

"The Indonesian Women's Coalition for Justice and Democracy is
concerned that the Habibie government has not yet announced any
clear plans to ensure food security for the people," coalition
member Julia I. Suryakusuma read out in a statement.

The coalition said that a clean government must be formed in
the shortest possible time thorough a democratic process.

They also demanded that the government reclaim state wealth
which they said had been "looted" by Soeharto, his family,
cronies and corrupt government officials.

Quicker

Also demonstrating at the House yesterday was a 40-strong
delegation from the Bandung Reform Movement (GRB), which arrived
earlier in the day and was therefore allowed to enter the
compound. They met with members of Golkar, the Armed Forces
(ABRI), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) factions, and demanded that the
implementation of economic reform be sped up.

"People need food. They do not need politics. So we call for a
national consensus to gain a better solution for everyone," Koen
Soekarno, the group representative told The Jakarta Post
yesterday.

Budi Hardjono from the PDI faction told the group that they
should present their ideas to President Habibie himself. "As far
as I know, there has never yet been any pro-reform group which
has asked for a national consensus in a bid to solve the crisis
facing the nation," Budi said.

Separately, 1,500 students in Medan staged a sit-in protest at
the North Sumatra Police Headquarters. They refused to budge
until provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Sutyono heard their
outrage over the alleged sexual assault of female students by
police officers during recent demonstrations.

The students unfurled banners and waved posters, including one
which read: "Respect women because your mothers too are women."

A total of 26 female students reported they had been verbally
abused and sexually assaulted by officers when they left a
demonstration at Medan Teachers' Training College on May 4. Their
rector, Darmono, has filed a formal complaint with the police,
the Ministry of Education and Culture, and the National
Commission on Human Rights.

The Mitra Perempuan Women's Crisis Center, led by lawyer Rita
Serena Kolibonso, reported similar harassment of female students
at the May 12 demonstration at Trisakti University, Jakarta.
During the riots that followed, many women of Chinese origin were
forced to strip by rioters and some were raped in front of many
people, she said. (ivy/21/edt/swe)