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Students return to the streets in Jakarta

Source
Agence France Presse - November 24, 1998

Jakarta – Indonesian students returned to the streets Tuesday to press for reforms as the capital braced for more mass demonstrations, with heavy security deployed around strategic spots leading to the Monas square in Central Jakarta.

By midday some 500 flag and banner-waving students from the South Jakarta campus of the University of Indonesia had reached a busy central roundabout and had begun marching on Monas, witnesses said.

Two separate groups, totalling abaout 300 students protested at the attorney general's office in South Jakarta.

Some 100 students from the Communication Forum of Jakarta's Students Senates (FKSMJ) called on the attorney general to bring former president Suharto to trial over past abuses of power. "Bring Suharto to trial," read a poster displayed by the students while another read "Suharto is responsible for the disintegration of the nation." The protesters were barred by marines from entering the complex and were left demonstrating in the slow traffic lane of the street in front of the attorney general's office.

About 200 students from the Trisakti private university arrived by bus and immediately entered the compound, also calling for a trial for Suharto and a comprehensive investigation of the May 12 shooting here that left four Trisakti students dead.

Both groups also demanded the resignation of Attorney General Andi Ghalib, whom they said was stalling investigations into the wealth of Suharto and of the Trisakti shooting.

Ghalib heads a team formed by President B.J. Habibie in September to probe the wealth of Suharto, his family and former officials who served under him but critics have said the probe had stalled.

Since the ageing ex-president stepped down on May 21, he has faced and denied allegations that he amassed a fortune during his 32 years in office. Forbes magazine in June listed the Suharto family at four billion dollars.

Rumors in the capital spoke of a fourth attempt by students tomarch on Suharto's Cendana residence in a posh residential district in central Jakarta. A small group of 20 students were blocked Monday by a tight security cordon at a park less than one kilometre (0.62 miles) from Cendana. Two similar demonstrations last week were turned back at the same location.

More than 1,000 students had gathered by early morning at the Salemba campus of the state University of Indonesia holding a free speech forum, and AFP reporter said.

Hundreds of students, from the City Forum, were gathering at the Sahid University in South Jakarta and also preparing to board buses to go to the parliament to protest.

Rumors also spoke of several other groups of students intending to march towards the central Monas square which is surrounded by government offices, including the presidential palace.

Scores of troops were seen preparing for the day at a large empty house on the rim of a roundabout some 200 metres (yards) southeast of the square. The soldiers had set up camp there, an AFP reporter said. They were also camped in the park, in the grounds of the tourism ministry and several other buildings.

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