University students from pro-democracy party
UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): A group of Hasanuddin University students announced yesterday the establishment of Pro- Democracy Students Party, saying they refused to be cowed by the recent political tension in the country.
They also denied any ties with the condemned Democratic People's Party (PRD), which stands accused of conducting communist activities and of masterminding the violent rioting in Jakarta on July 27.
Akbar Andri, one of the founders, said the party is based on state-ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. "We have no ties whatsoever with the PRD," he told The Jakarta Post here yesterday.
However, the students made it clear they mean business by announcing they will first demand political reform.
"We've not been traumatized by the July 27 incident which forced many prodemocracy activists to lay low," he said. Accompanied by fellow activists Hasbi, Adi Ahsan and Suparno, Akbar declared that there is no law prohibiting any Indonesian from establishing a new party.
"We have studied and had an in-depth discussion about the law ... there is no law that prohibits the establishment of a new party," Suparno said.
The activists said they will seek support from students throughout the country. "One of the first steps we're going to take is to establish statutes," one of the students said.
However, some 30 activists held a demonstration on Wednesday outside the provincial legislative council and sought, vainly, to hold talks with council chairs.
They were received briefly by deputy chairman Nurdin Mappewali of the Golkar faction, Suwahyo of the Armed Forces faction and Tajuddin Ibrahim of United Development Party faction, who called off the talks because the legislators said the students' demands were too political.
"They wanted to discuss five topics, but the items were too political so we refused to accept them," Nurdin said.
The students wanted to discuss their demands with the council. One of the demands included the revision of the five laws that govern Indonesian political life. They also demanded that government officials stop "accusing Indonesian people of being communists without clear evidence".
Separately, chief of the Wirabuana regional military command, Maj. Gen. Agum Gumelar, said yesterday the region's students were known to be strong-willed and idealistic.
"They are very quick to respond to irregularities," Agum said. "It's good, but we should take precautions so that it doesn't ruin the existing order. Please enter the system, so that we can work together to right wrongs."
A group of students declared the establishment of PRD in late July. Several days later, rioting erupted following the forced takeover of the disputed headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) by supporters of new chairman Soerjadi.
Five people were killed in the rioting, according to the National Commission on Human Rights, and 149 injured.
On July 28, the military blamed the PRD for the disturbance. A number of the party's activists are still in detention and under investigation, along with some supporters of deposed chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri. (34/swe)