Jakarta – One day before the MPR Special Session (SS) in Jakarta, Monday (9/11), the group of supporters and opponents of the SS are competing in mobilizing masses and frictions start between the two masses with different aspirations.
It is feared that wider clashes will occur, either between the SS supporters and the opponents or between the masses and the security apparatus, if all parties don't attempt to avoid violence.
The mass of students who reject implementation of the SS, also demand ex President Soeharto's trial and revoking of ABRI's dual function. Both demands emerged during the mass demonstrations which occurred simultaneously at at least eight towns beside Jakarta.
In a series of demonstrations in Jakarta, two students were noted seriously wounded and eleven others lightly wounded due to clashes with the Mobile Brigade when demonstrating in front of the Supreme Court Building. Students from the Indonesian Technological School for Higher Learning (STII) demanded that the SC revoked BJ Habibie's oath as president. The two seriously wounded students, Rajab S Asmara and Harry had to be driven to the Emergency Room of Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital. Since the morning masses of SS supporters were already on the alert at places which were expected as locations for demonstrations of students masses which opposed the SS. First, to avoid clashes with the self made security forces, the students planned to demonstrate at the Proclamation monument. But it proved that the place was already controlled by SS supporters. Evenso with the location at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM). The student mass which opposed the SS continued however their demonstrations.
At one action the SS supporters also climbed on six open trucks, one of which read: "Self Supporting Security's City Patrol", threw stones to the campus of Unika Atma Jaya (UAJ) while shouting anti student yells. Due to the intifada one Isuzu Panther car had its glasses broken but there were no wounded. The UAJ rector Thomas Suyatno had the opportunity to protest the security forces as they were evaluated lacking efficiency in avoiding that intifada.
Blockade of the apparatus
Thousands of students associated in Forum Kota failed to near the MPR/DPR building as they were blocked by the security apparatus at the toll road entrance in front of the Metro Jaya Police HQ. Their wish to move either to the MPR/DPR building or the Proclamation monument was refused by the apparatus so that they held an oration on the busses parked and closing the toll road and the artery road from Cawang to Semanggi. The students also closed the toll road from Semanggi to Cawang. A white billboard which read: "Reject the Special Session of '98, Form Indonesian Nation Committees." placed by them to stop all vehicles. As a result, not only traffic from Cawang to Semanggi stuck, but also from Semanggi to Kuningan/Cawang. Hundreds of cars from both directions could for about two hours not move.
After being hindered by the barricade from the apparatus, the Forum Kota students passed in a convoy of 28 busses the main roads of the capital. The route which they passed was Jl Gatot Subroto – Jl HR Rasuna Said – Jl Otto Iskandar Dinata – campus UI Salemba. the convoy had the opportunity to let the traffick stuck where they passed. The convoy arrived at the UI Campus at around 19.00 WIT.
At the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle hundreds of students from Universitas Jayabaya and Institut Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik (IISIP) Jakarta demonstrated for the annulment of ABRI's dual function, the revokal of the single principle and the trial of Ex President Soeharto. If those demands were met, they were willing to support the SS.
Mass mobilization of students in a big amount was concentrated at Jalan Diponegoro after the Proclamation monument was under control of the opposing mass. Thousands from the Students and People's Committee Against the Dual Function (Komrad), the Student Action Front for Reformation and Democracy (Famred), the Joint Forum (Forbes) and the UI Big Family demonstrated at Jalan Diponegoro.
Various banners and posters against the ABRI dual function, rejection of the SS, and the alma mater flags of various universities were flown and mixed with the masses. Against sunset the mass moved to Jalan Salemba while singing the "Armed Forces" march in the student's version. The apparatus had the opportunity to block them at the Jalan Raya Salemba corner. A great part of the students entered the campus of UI Salemba while another part stayed on the road.
Thousands of students finally spent the night at Kampus UI Salemba and Kampus UKI Jalan Diponegoro. They used the two campuses and both sides of the road in front of it as base for their movements.
Jakarta relaxed
Starting 22.00 WIT at the parking area at the Medical Faculty (FKUI) at 4, Jl Salemba, Central Jakarta, preparations were seen to welcome the holy reflection of Heroes Day. At least hundreds of pro-democracy students from various universities will attend the reflection at the FKUI building.
Scheduled to give an oration at that program are KH Said Aqiel Siradj, YB Mangunwijaya, Sandyawan Sumardi and Ratna Sarumpaet. At the Kampus Universitas Kristen Indonesia (UKI) Jl Diponegoro which is opposite the FKUI.
The monitoring by Kompas since 20.00 till 00.00 WIT showed that a number of main roads were relaxed with only one or two cars passing. Such view was seen around Jl Salemba Raya, Jl Senen Raya, Jl Matraman Raya, Jl Kwitang, Jl Prof Dr Satrio, Jr HR Rasuna Said, and Jl Sultan Hasanuddin. Guarding by the security apparatus was remarkable around the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, the area of Medan Merdeka, the highway cloverleaf and around the area of the MPR/DPR building.
Try Soeharto
As was also reflected in Jakarta, at least 8 other cities (Bandung, Yogyakarta, Samarinda, Lampung, Jember, Semarang and Ujungpandang) occurred youth and student demonstrations, Monday (9/10). As their colleagues in Jakarta they demanded Soeharto's trial and removal of the ABRI dual function.
Around 3000 students representing various state and private universities of Padang demanded that the MPR SS made a stipulation about the Forming of a Monitoring Team of the General Elections Implementation.
The statement was conveyed at the Governor's office. Almost at the same time was conveyed a statement from various mass organizations stating their readiness to make the MPR SS a success and stating their readiness to create a conducive atmosphere. The statement was formally received by the Regional Secretary of W Sumatra Achiyarli A Djalil.
The two almost controversial statements caused almost a clash between the two parties. The students asked the other party not to speak on behalf of the people of W Sumatra. "We, students of West Sumatra don't feel to be represented by that engineered statement," a student said at the free forum. The accusation of engineering was rejected by the Chairman of the Regional Managing Board of the Indonesian Youth National Committee Asnawai Bahar.
The students also demanded removal of all MPR Stipulations which were not in accordance with the reformation spirit, and to stipulate the limiting of the presidency for maximum two office periods and full autonomy for the regions. The statement was named Andalas declaration.
In Bandung, Yogya and Samarinda the Indonesian Moslem Action Students Unity (KAMMI) and the Fraternity of Moslem Youth Forum came to the local House to convey their statement. The Reformation team of the Regional House of West Java made a special platform for the speeches of the demonstrators. They called their statement Ultimatum Gazibu.
In Yogya the KAMMI started at the Regional House of Representatives then went to the Radio Republik Indonesia Nusantara II and then made an oration at the Great Building. While in Samarinda the KAMMI demanded settlement of Moslem cases like the cases of Tanjung Priok, Haur Koneng, Banyuwangi and Aceh.
While in the afternoon at the parking place of the Segiri Sport Building in Samarinda, the Deputy Governor of East Kalimantan led the roll call of alertness of around 1,000 youth of E Kalimantan. They stated their support for the MPR SS, the General Elections of 1999 and the MPR General Session of 1999, while inviting all parties to maintain security in their respective places. Before, 10 House members of the F-PP and F-PDI launched a boycott against the plenary meeting of the Regional House of Representatives of E Kalimantan which discussed support for the MPR SS and the coming General Elections.
Building a Tent
The most unique demonstration was probably in Lampung by 4,000 farmers from all corners in Lampung who called themselves the Council of Lampung Farmers (DTL) and the Group of Students, Pupils and People of Lampung (KMPPRL). They erected a tent for lodging at the front yard of the governor's office of Lampung. They marched 15 km from Universitas Lampung to the Governor's office. Besides the demands similar like the other regions they rejected Habibie because he was not elected through general elections.
In Jember there were three demonstrations. One by about 40 students at the Regional House and Regional Govt demanding Habibie to step down. The second by about 100 citizens from the village of Kedung Piring, the Regency of Tegalbesar, demanding the release of five suspects of the murder of black market practitioners. The third was performed by the student Unej who is associated with the GMNI organization. which is already going on for two weeks.
In Semarang the demonstrations were staged by various student organizations while in Ujungpandang hundreds of demonstrators demanded total reconciliation of all components of the nation while the Students Forum and Guards to Save the Constitution asked removal of the ABRI Dual Function and Pancasila as the single principle.
While citizens from foreign descendants in Ujungpandang hoped that the SS would produce a decision to implement the General Elections ultimately next ear, as they needed certainty of law and security in order to be able to live and to enterprise.