Louise Williams, Jakarta – Student protesters have switched tactics and called a three-day general strike and a period of national mourning after President B.J. Habibie ordered his armed forces chief to use any means to crush demonstrations and restore order in the riot-torn Indonesian capital.

The Governor of Jakarta, Sutiyoso, appealed to the city's 11 million people not to leave their homes after 10pm over the next few days, but denied an official curfew was in place. The Australian Embassy advised about 10,000 Australian nationals in Jakarta to "only undertake essential travel" around the city.

Tens of thousands of students withdrew from the front of the Parliament building late on Saturday night after a day of rioting and attacks on police posts and military vehicles. The bloody assault on students at Atma Jaya University in the city centre late on Friday left at least 12 dead and 150 injured.

The key opposition figure Amien Rais and scores of prominent citizens called for the immediate resignation of the Armed Forces Commander, General Wiranto, but the President announced he had handed General Wiranto a mandate to crack down on anti-government protests, signalling his support for the use of force against civilian protesters.

"I have given him instructions to take firm actions in line with existing laws," Dr Habibie said in a nationwide televised address, describing protests as "acts of rebellion" intended to bring down his government.

The students' Forum Bersama [United Forum] called on Indonesians to fly flags at half-mast as a sign of mourning and announced a general strike from today. They rejected the results of the "special session" of the People's Consultative Assembly which ended late on Friday and said they would continue their campaign to replace President Habibie with a transitional government of pro-reform leaders from the opposition.

The Assembly has rejected the students' demands for an end to the military's participation in politics. The Parliament is due to begin sitting today to work out the details of Indonesia's new political framework, which will continue to include appointed military officers to sit alongside elected MPs. There was no immediate reaction from labour groups to the strike call, and the success of the students' campaign now appears to depend on the next move by opposition figures, such as the Muslim leader, Mr Abdurrahman Wahid, and the pro-democracy figurehead, Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Mr Wahid has already pledged the support of his 40-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama organisation to the students' political reform campaign but is unlikely to call the public out onto the streets to face the military, fearing further bloodshed. Jakarta was quiet yesterday, after a day of violence and rioting in several city locations.

In Chinatown, at least three streets of shops were set on fire as mobs targeted the ethnic Chinese business minority, the usual scapegoats at times of political crisis. However, other large groups vented their rage on symbols of the military, burning military vehicles and police posts, and attempting to burn down two major police headquarters. The chaos was reminiscent of riots across Jakarta in May this year, which forced the resignation of President Soeharto.

However, the high expectations for political reforms following his removal have not been fulfilled, and much of the same political elite remains in power.

Marines were deployed across the city because of their popularity with the people, after army and police units were taunted and attacked with rocks and sticks. "The armed force are too arrogant. They don't care about the students' lives or the ordinary people. They just do whatever they want for political purposes," said one ethnic Chinese businessman as he watched a mob loot a burning car showroom.

"The tensions are rising since the killing of the students and the people are angry with the military, but they are scared of the army so they show their emotions by attacking the Chinese. Of course, we are worried."

Another mob, milling around in the smoke from a pile of burning motorbikes, was shouting for Dr Habibie to quit. "We support the students from behind. Habibie has failed to solve the economic crisis, many of use don't have jobs and our life is very difficult. Habibie is just a puppet of Soeharto," said one young man.