Jakarta – Around 2,000 students from universities across the country rallied in front of the State Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara, Central Jakarta, on Monday to commemorate the 10th year of the Trisakti shooting tragedy.
Garry Setiawan from the State University of Semarang, Central Java, who participated in the rally, said he and many other students planned to stay in front of the palace, on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara, until President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pledged to meet their demands.
"Before we have his promise, we will not go home," he said. They demanded the government resume the legal process for corruption charges against former president Soeharto and his close allies.
On May 12, 1998, soldiers allegedly shot and killed four students – Hendriawan Lesmana, Hafidin Royan, Heri Hartanto and Elang Mulya – at Trisakti University during a student protest demanding the resignation of then president Soeharto. The incident was followed by anti-Chinese riots from May 14 to 15, in which at least 1,200 people were killed.
Hundreds of police were present at the demonstration on Monday, which ran peacefully.
Even though there was traffic congestion in front of Atma Jaya University on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta in the morning, the rally caused little traffic disruption overall. Traffic along Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat heading to the palace was normal, as it was on Jl. MH Thamrin, Jl. Hayam Wuruk and Jl. Gajah Mada in Central Jakarta.
Garry, who majors in public health, said he arrived in Jakarta at 5:30 a.m. together with other university students from Yogyakarta and cities across Central Java including Semarang, Solo and Purwokerto.
Hundreds of Trisakti University students also held a demonstration in front of the Attorney General's Office on Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin, South Jakarta, on Monday.
They called on the government to continue the legal process for the Trisakti tragedy, as well as for the shootings that took place near Atma Jaya University in Central Jakarta, known as the Semanggi I and Semanggi II incidents.
Their demands were heard by the AGO's head of information and law center, B.D. Nainggolan, and the director of human rights for the deputy attorney general for special crimes, Aminur Rasyid Rambe.
In the Semanggi I tragedy on Nov. 13, 1998, 17 people were killed and 456 were injured at the Semanggi overpass, near Atma Jaya University. Semanggi II occurred at the same place between Sept. 22 and Sept. 24, 1999, claiming nine lives. (uwi)