Shoeb Kagda, Jakarta – As thousands of student demonstrators kept up their pressure on the Habibie government by continuing their protest movement into the third straight week, political analysts expressed reservations on their ability to sustain the movement.
Noting that the student movement is fragmented with many conflicting groups, respected Islamic leader Nurcholis Madjid said that it faces the prospect of fizzling out over the coming weeks. "Unlike the student movement in 1965 and 1966 which was united under a central leadership, the current movement has no central leader but many centres," he told BT.
Himself a student leader during the turbulent 1960s, when the country's first president was removed from power after a violent putsch, Mr Nurcholis said that the students should adopt a common platform if they are to be effective in bringing about change. "The students are not effective as a movement because they are fighting amongst themselves and soon they will lose their common platform."
He admitted, however, that the students' pressure on the government to move to investigate Mr Suharto may be working although the Habibie administration is unlikely to resolve the issue. "But the next government formed after the general elections will not be able to sidestep this issue."
The country's powerful armed forces, which up to now has refrained from commenting on the issue, has also joined the growing public calls for an investigation into the wealth of the former leader. "The government must be bold on the investigation of former president Suharto's wealth," the regional Jawa Pos quoted armed forces (Abri) territorial commander Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as saying.
The military has so far protected the former leader from student protests this week, barricading the street on which he lives in an up-market residential district in central Jakarta. The three-star general, however, cautioned that Mr Suharto must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Yesterday, the students held smaller protest rallies, as compared with earlier this month, in a number of locations in the capital city. Each protest rally numbered between 1,000 and 1,500 demonstrators and were largely peaceful.
The students tried to march to the Monas square but were halted by security forces. But after the violent clashes of Nov 13 when 15 people were killed and several hundred were injured, the troops were only armed with batons and shields.
Two other student groups numbering about 1,000 protesters also gathered on the grounds of the attorney-general's office in South Jakarta demanding Mr Suharto be brought to trial for corruption and abuse of power.
Meanwhile, reports said Indonesian military police have jailed 163 soldiers involved in the Nov 13 incident. "This was a form of disciplinary punishment ... they will be jailed for 21 days," Indonesian military police chief Djasri Marin was quoted by the Media Indonesia as saying. "But if after the investigation they are found guilty, they are likely to be court-martialled," he said.
The continuing demonstrations prompted President Habibie to again express concern. "Democracy does not mean you are free to do whatever you want. If the riots go on, it will effect our economic recovery," he told journalists at the Merdeka Palace.
BT understands that Dr Habibie will chair a special cabinet meeting today to discuss the rising social and political tension in the country and the implementation of the 12 draft decrees passed by the country's highest legislative body two weeks ago.