UI students give deadline for govt to resolve Aceh problems

JAKARTA (JP): One hundred and fifty students from the University of Indonesia rallied at the House of Representatives on Wednesday to demand that President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri resign if they fail to resolve the dispute in Aceh within three months.

During their peaceful demonstration, the students, mostly members of the university's Students Executive Board (BEM UI), criticized Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, for his lackluster performance in handling Aceh's problems.

"Gus Dur does not seem to care about Aceh's problems. That's why we are giving an ultimatum to the government to settle problems in Aceh within three months, otherwise Gus Dur and Megawati should resign," the students' leader Yanuar Arif said.

"We are very serious and the demonstration is not our first nor last. We will come back with bigger rallies if our demand is left unheeded by the government."

During their meetings with members of the Golkar and the Reform factions and the House's special commission on Aceh, the students regretted that Abdurrahman had given his overseas trips priority over domestic matters.

In their statement signed by BEM-UI president Bachtiar Firdaus and secretary-general Arie Wibowo, the students also demanded former president Soeharto, former Armed Forces chiefs L.B. Moerdani, Try Sutrisno, Edi Sudradjat and former Aceh governor Ibrahim Hasan be brought to trial for their alleged involvement in human rights abuses in the province.

"The only solution to Aceh's problems is to grant wide-ranging autonomy to the province and bring all parties concerned to justice," Arie said.

He suggested that the House become actively involved in bringing an end to conflicts in Aceh.

"We consider the House's decision to question some generals as only a beginning, not a solution," he said, referring to the House commission's plan to summon the former military top brass as part of its investigation into past atrocities in Aceh.

Arie said the Acehnese, who had devoted their lives and natural resources to the republic, had been betrayed by both the Sukarno and Soeharto governments.

The students rejected the military's role in the settlement of Aceh problems. (02)