D Tjiptono/SWA & LM, Jakarta – Around 50 students form the Student Executive Board (BEM) of the University of Indonesia (UI) demonstrated in front of the US Embassy on Tuesday, Independence Day, demanding the US government stay out of Indonesian domestic affairs.

Wearing their signature yellow university jackets, the students arrived at the US Embassy building at 2.15pm local time. They immediately set about delivering orations claiming that Indonesia was currently in the hands of foreign powers, particularly the US. According to the General Chairman of the student body, Taufik Riyadi, national sovereignity has become mere rhetoric.

"Natural resources are constantly exploited but the people do not enjoy the profits, all while Indonesia's debt keeps mounting up. Policy after policy is being determined by the superpower countries," Taufik told the protesting students.

For this reason, the students demanded the current government of President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri refuse all kinds of foreign intervention. They also called upon the Indonesian people to unite.

The students brought posters which reflected their critical stance:"Go to Hell Yankee", "Defend Our Nation's Dignity", "Refuse Intervention", "Yankee, Mind Your Own Country" and many more. A US national flag was also set alight.

Despite the lively demo, a traffic jam was avoided. 30 officers from the Jakarta City Police guarded the site while behind the embassy gate, a group of security officers stood guard sporting shields and helmets.