UI students give deadline for govt to resolve Aceh problems

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)