Violence in Medan exception to calm student protests
JAKARTA (JP): Student rallies protesting the dire economic situation continued across the country yesterday, but yet more violence in Medan, North Sumatra, was the lone blemish on the otherwise peaceful protests.
The fracas near the North Sumatra University campus was tinged with the odor of burning wheels as students pelted security officers with rocks and Molotov cocktails.
Police launched tear gas canisters to disperse the students.
The students took two motorcycles belonging to police and set them on fire.
The violence erupted as thousands of students, who had gathered inside the campus grounds to stage a demonstration protesting the government's handling of the economic crisis, tried to march onto the streets.
Security officers had assembled in anticipation of the move and blocked the students.
After a brief scuffle the demonstrators vented their frustration by throwing rocks at the security officers.
There were no immediate reports of serious injuries.
North Sumatra's military chief of staff, Brig. Gen. Djibut Hindartono, deplored the violence, particularly the behavior of the students.
Medan was a stark contrast to calm protest rallies in other cities such as Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Kudus, Surakarta, Ujungpandang, Semarang and Surabaya.
Elsewhere
In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi's capital, about 10,000 students from at least six universities in the city gathered at the city council office on Jl. Urip Sumoharjo to stage a joint free-speech forum on its grounds.
Student groups marched separately from their campuses through city streets, carrying posters and banners with statements critical of the government. Many even took public transportation buses to the site.
On the city council grounds, student leaders took turns addressing students, most of whom were clad in their respective university jackets, with fiery antigovernment speeches.
Their demands included the lowering of prices of basic commodities and the resignation of Minister of Education and Culture Wiranto Arismunandar.
Students were from Hassanuddin University, Cokroaminoto University, Muhammadiyah University, University '45, and the economic and management institutes of STIEM-LPI and STIE-YPUP.
After about four hours, the students marched peacefully back to their campuses. Security officials watched from a distance.
In Central Java, antigovernment protests occurred in Kudus, Surakarta and Semarang. All proceeded without violence.
In Kudus, about 150 activists of the Indonesian Islamic Students Association (PMII) staged a free-speech forum at the town's square.
They shouted Allahuakbar, Allahuakbar (God is Great, God is Great) and called for the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism.
They tried to march to the nearby local council office, but were prevented by police. They later dispersed peacefully.
In Semarang, dozens of students expressed their concern over the people's suffering through a public song performance at the city's Ciputra Mall.
Money generated from the performance, according to Diponegoro University's student senate leader Tafrikhan Marzuki, will be donated to cover tuition expenses for students whose parents have been laid off.
In Surakarta, about 100 students from the Indonesian Moslem Students Association (HMI) also took to the streets to protest.
They marched to the city square about one kilometer from their office, shouting "Long live students. Long live the people" and "Lower prices".
In East Java's capital of Surabaya, another peaceful student rally was also reported.
About 500 students gathered near the entrance gate of the Sunan Ampel Islamic Institute campus, calling for the speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, Harmoko, to convene an extraordinary session to ask for President Soeharto's accountability in bringing the country into the crisis.
In Yogyakarta, thousands of students from at least 25 nearby universities staged a joint free-speech forum at the campus of IKIP Karangmalang.
The university's deputy rector in charge of student affairs, Shodiq A. Kuntoro, attended the protest, lending his support to the on-campus protest.
The demonstration also proceeded without violence. (21/23/44/30/nur/har/aan)