Winners of May 21 Trisakti monument announced

JAKARTA (JP): Private Trisakti University, which plans to build a monument in commemoration of the deaths of four of its students who were fatally shot during the May 12 tragic incident, revealed on Wednesday three winners of the monument design contest.

One design, created by Mukrifin, a student of the university's school of architecture and, another design created by M. Deni Hendrawan, a graduate of the university, were chosen as the first winners. Both Mukrifin and Deni won a Rp 6 million prize.

Thoby Mutis, the university's rector, said the construction of the monument was aimed at maintaining the spirit of the reform movement initiated by students and at respecting the four late students -- Elang Mulya, Hendriawan Sie, Heri Hertanto and Hafidhin Royan.

"The reform movement is not yet over. The country is still led by people closely linked to Soeharto's new order era," he said.

Mukrifin and Deni will be assigned to jointly blend their designs into a new design for the monument, the construction of which is expected to start on Nov. 10.

The third winning design was created by Marco Prayogo, a student of the university's school of architecture. He got Rp 4 million in prize money.

Some 12 nominated designs out of the 55 design entrants at the contest are exhibited at the university's rectorate office on Jl. Kyai Tapa, West Jakarta, until Saturday.

Mutis said the monument project was expected to be completed as soon as possible and be inaugurated on May 12, next year.

"By that time, we hope the killers of our students would have been found, tried and punished," the rector said, adding that the investigation to reveal the killers of the students did not run as well as expected.

The recent military tribunal only sentenced two police officers for wrong procedures in handling the student demonstration at the university, but was not related to the killings, he said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of the university's students gathered at its compound on Wednesday, demanding that the government find the killers of their friends as soon as possible.

In the gathering, which was also aimed at commemorating the Youth Pledge Day which fell on Oct. 28, they also demanded that the Armed Forces quit from its dual function in social and political fields. (jun)