Workers, students mark second year without Soeharto

Workers, students mark second year without Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of students and workers belonging to the
Workers-Students Joint Action group staged a rally at the
Proklamasi Monument in Central Jakarta on Sunday to commemorate
the second anniversary of former president Soeharto's downfall.

The protesters, from the Students League for Democracy (LMND)
and the National Front for Indonesian Workers Struggle (FNPBI),
demanded the government immediately bring the former strongman to
court for alleged human rights violations during his 32-year
tenure.

The protesters, some wearing red "FNPBI" headbands, also
demanded in their two-hour protest that the government seize all
Soeharto's and his associates' assets.

Apart from speeches, the protesters also unfurled banners and
posters during the protest, one of which read: "Hang Soeharto
from a Hashish Plant."

FNPBI coordinator Dita Indah Sari said a fair trial against
the former president was a must.

"The former president is responsible for crimes against
humanity in the past, including the massacres and military
oppression in Aceh, Tanjung Priok and East Timor," Dita said.

She said the former strongman was also responsible for the
rampant corruption that went unchecked during his reign.

"The fruits of the development were only enjoyed by Soeharto
and his cronies. It's high time to seize his and his cronies'
assets, and use them to finance, for example, a hike in teachers'
salaries," she said.

At around 12 a.m. the workers and students marched to
Soeharto's residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta, which is
some two kilometers away from the monument.

At the beginning of Jl. Cendana, the protesters were met by a
cordon of dozens of police personnel, stopping them from
proceeding.

After airing protests in front of the police personnel, the
students and workers marched to YAI University campus on Jl.
Diponegoro, also in Central Jakarta, and then dispersed
peacefully.

Sluggish

Separately in Yogyakarta, at least 150 students grouped under
the Committee for Yogyakarta People's Struggle (KRPY), staged a
similar protest in front of Gedung Agung, a former state palace.

The students condemned the government for its sluggish
investigation into the former president.

"The government has not shown significant progress in its
investigation into the former president. Students are pessimistic
that the investigation can be completed, since Attorney General
Marzuki Darusman is a member of Golkar Party, which Soeharto
still has a strong grip over," said protest coordinator Setiawan
Cahyo.

In Semarang, dozens of students grouped under the Islamic
Student Association (HMI) and the Students for a Democratic and
Just Revolution (Merdeka) demanded Soeharto's prosecution.

President Soeharto was forced to step down on May 21 in 1998,
after massive riots in the city and a student occupation of the
parliament building.

IMF

Also in Semarang and Yogyakarta, other student groups staged
separate protests on Sunday, commemorating National Awakening
Day, which fell on May 20.

In Yogyakarta, dozens of members of the Action Committee for
People's Democracy (Kader) demanded the government cut off its
dependency on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which the
students said was the cause of the economic hardship.
(44/06/har/asa)