Jakarta – Some 150 Indonesian students rallied on Wednesday near the home of former president Suharto to demand that he be immediately put on trial for massive corruption and abuse of power.
The protestors, grouped under the City Alliance, marched through the plush Menteng area in central Jakarta before they were stopped by dozens of police in full riot gear about 75 meters from Suharto's sprawling bungalow.
"Jail Suharto and seize his assets," said one large sign waved by the students. They also demanded during the 30-minute peaceful protest that all state institutions be cleared of Suharto loyalists.
Prosecutors on Tuesday formally filed corruption charges against Suharto to the South Jakarta district court. The head of the panel of judges on the case said the trial of the former dictator could open before the end of this month.
Suharto, now 79 and in failing health, is charged with stealing 571 million dollars from the state during his iron-fisted 32-year rule. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment but Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has pledged to pardon Suharto should he be convicted. But he has insisted Suharto must first face a tribunal.
Suharto, who has vowed that he will not leave the country despite the legal pressure, is accused of misusing the money from several huge tax-free foundations he controlled by investing the funds in firms owned by his family and friends.
Reformist students, who helped topple Suharto in 1998, say the charges against Suharto are too lenient, and demand that the former autocrat be tried for human rights abuses as well.
Youth forum rejects military in Parliament
Detik - August 9, 2000
Hestiana Dharmastuti/Fitri & BI, Jakarta – Eleven youth organisations have amalgamated together to form the Indonesian Youth Forum (FKPI). The amalgamation has firmly rejected Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI)/National Police (Polri) seat allocation inside the Parliament.
They believed the TNI/Polri seat allocation in Parliament is a great political set back, eventhough the allocation for TNI/POLRI has been greatly reduced after the down fall of Suharto Regime, from 170 seats to only 38 seats at present.
The statement was made by the Chairman of FKPI, Syaiful Bahri Anshori from PMII during a press conference at PMKRI (Indonesian Catholic Student Association) office, Central Jakarta, Wednesday.
FKPI have consisted of eleven youth organisations including the notable Indonesian Christian Student Association (GMKI), Indonesian Islamic Students Association (PMII), Indonesian National Students Association (GMNI), Indonesian Catholic Student Association (PMKRI) and NU Youth Association (IPNU).
"The Annual Assembly Session is supposed to solve substantial dilemmas and not to vent personal emotions. [The Session] is also the place to suggest a better life platform as well as deleting all New Order legislation which has legitimised status quo, non-reform, and discriminative," Syaiful said further.
Speaking at the same occasion, the chairman of GMNI, Bambang Romada, has said the new Forum will continue to prevent any new order relics to find a new foothold. "Eventhough many New Order member have not been punished [for their crime]. [And] if there are no mean to punish those who have been suspected to be guilty, that doesn't mean the general public are not aware of their crime and allowing them to commit more crime," Bambang explained further.
The chairman of PMKRI, Ignas Kikin Tarigan, said PMKRI will maintain the result of general election, also on their next schedule the forum will held a rally ."But the most important thing is, everything has to go back to the reform agenda because new order's financial system and network are a lot stronger than the reform group," Ignas said assertively.
The chairman of GMKI, Barita LH Simanjuntak, also criticized the current Annual Assembly Session. In his opinion, the assembly has failed to give political education. "They supposed to discuss on how to come out of the crisis, not to make some evaluation. Therefore, it is unnecessary to do an evaluation until Wahid administration period has expired," Barita said emotionally.
The Annual Assembly Session currently is preparing a new amendment which will maintain TNI/Police seats in the Parliament, as reported by the Jakarta Post. The new amendments has stated, if certain groups who do not have the right to vote in the general election are entitle to have representatives in the Parliament. There are strong reaction from many non government organisation and students who have opposed the amendments.