Source APC Newsgroup: act.indonesia
Source APC Newsgroup: act.indonesia
Written by: tapol@gn.apc.org
Date: 08 Nov 1998 06:06:28
Subject: Students issue 'ultimatum' as legislature prepares for special sessi
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (TAPOL)
Subject: Students issue 'ultimatum' as legislature prepares for special sessionFrom Joyo:
Indonesian legislature prepares for special session
JAKARTA, Nov 8 (AFP) - A four-day special session of Indonesia's highest
legislative body, due to start Tuesday to pave the way for fresh elections
next year, will be closely watched by reformists and students who have warned
of a backlash should it fail to implement reforms.The 1,000 members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will set a date
for the 1999 elections and pass scores of decrees to smooth its passage.It is part of the "National Agenda for Reforms" floated by B.J. Habibie after
he assumed the presidency from Suharto who resigned on May 21 amid growing
public protest. The reforms are aimed at bringing in a new president by the
end of 1999.Students and reformists have been protesting in vain against the MPR session
which they see as a Suharto body that is sure to preserve the status quo.They have now focused their efforts on making sure the session accommodates
their demands.Some 5,000 students who rallied at the campus of the state University of
Indonesia on Friday issued an "ultimatum" containing conditions for their
support. "If the MPR rejects our (conditions) we have prepared another
agenda, Just wait and see what will happen on November 14," a spokesman for
the students, Agus Setyawan, told the rally. He declined to give details.Weeks of student protests in several cities have also heard speakers voice
distrust of the MPR session and warn about ignoring the aspirations of the
people. Speakers also called on the MPR to allow an honest inquiry into the
wealth of Suharto and to demand his accountability for abuses of power
during his 32-year rule. They also urged the MPR to scrap the obligation for
all political parties and mass organisations to pledge adherence to the
state ideology Pancasila.Opponents have also pointed out that the current make-up of the MPR does not
lend itself to change. The ruling Golkar party holds 585 seats, the military
113 and regional representatives another 149 seats.The two other Suharto-era parties, the Moslem-oriented United Development
Party and the weak Indonesian Democracy Party, are left with 136 and 17 seats
respectively. It was the same MPR that rubber-stamped a seventh presidential
term for Suharto in March only to press for his resignation two months later
after mounting opposition to the Indonesian leader.Although almost 100 new political parties have sprouted since Habibie launched
his reform drive, none of them are represented on the MPR. Popular reformist
leader Amien Rais, who now heads the new People's Mandate Party (PAN),
warned that an MPR failure to heed calls for reform would make people
"become even more emotional." PAN executive Abdillah Toha said opposition
parties had reached broad agreement not to recognise the MPR results if it
failed to yield a reformist agenda and that "in the extreme last resort, we
will not take part in
elections."Working committees of the MPR preparing for the session have already produced
13 draft decrees to be passed by the body, including one ensuring the presence
of the military in the legislature.But many groups support the session. A Moslem group gathered tens of
thousands of supporters at a sports stadium here Thursday and warned they
were prepared to confront anybody trying to disrupt the meeting.Thousands of supporters have begun to camp in the sprawling parking lot of the
sports complex not far from the parliament, armed with bamboo batons and ready
to help protect the session.The military has deployed 30,000 police and troops, some 16,000 of them in
Jakarta, while around 125,000 civilian volunteers will also help to keep the
peace in the city.The huge security deployment, and the use of civilians, has been widely
criticised. "Security is the responsibility of the police and such civilian
participation will only discredit the police," said Hendardi, executive
director of the Indonesian Association for Legal Aid and Human Rights.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath,
Surrey CR7 8HW, UK
Phone: 0181 771-2904 Fax: 0181 653-0322
email: tapol@gn.apc.org
Campaigning to expose human rights violations in
Indonesia, East Timor, West Papua and AcehJoin us to celebrate TAPOL's 25th anniversary on
20 October 1998. Contact us for ticket details.
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