Youth Pledge Day celebrated in style
Youth Pledge Day celebrated in style
JAKARTA (JP): The 67th anniversary of Youth Pledge Day was
celebrated yesterday in grand style at the Jakarta Convention
Center.
Dances and patriotic songs enliven the celebration where Vice
President Try Sutrisno and numerous cabinet ministers were among
the 5,000 young people on hand.
In his speech, Try reminded the youths of the latent danger of
communism and the need to nurture the Indonesian unity that the
younger generation helped pioneer long before the country
proclaimed its independence in 1945.
The ceremony was held in remembrance of a historic event which
took place on Oct. 28, 1928, when youths of various ethnic and
religious backgrounds, from different islands, pledged to unite
for an independent nation called Indonesia.
They pledged to have one nation, one official Indonesian
language.
Try also presented awards to 25 youths for their outstanding
contribution to the development of the nation. Among the
recipients was actor Rano Karno, who is considered successful in
developing the culture of Betawi -- Jakarta's indigenous
community.
In the Taman Ismail Marzuki Cultural Center, about 100
activists grouped in the "Indonesian Opposition" celebrated Youth
Pledge Day in their own style.
The celebration joined students and laborers who donned white
headbands printed with the word "opposition", distributed by the
organizing committee. They were activists from organizations such
as the Indonesian Front for the Defense of Human Rights, Pijar,
Aldera and the Prosperous Labor Union, all critical of the
government.
As a crowd gathered around a simple podium, Nia, a member of
the Indonesia Anti-Nuclear Society, opened the celebration by
yelling "Long live the opposition; long live students; long live
workers; long live farmers; and long live the people."
The crowd then sang the national anthem, Indonesia Raya, which
was followed by speeches from representatives of non-governmental
organizations which took part in the event.
In their statement made available to the press, the opposition
group demanded an end to what they saw as worsening corruption,
military intervention in labor disputes and nepotism in the
bureaucracy.
They also demanded the abolition of five laws on election,
political organizations, legislative bodies and referendum, which
they said were "hampering" democratization in Indonesia.
The whole event went smoothly under the watchful eyes of
policemen from the Menteng police station, although the
organizing committee had not asked permission from the center's
management to stage the celebration there.
"They should have asked for the center's permission," a police
officer said. (31/pan/msa)