AUT: Indonesia - two articles - "Four die in clash between protesters and security"

["rc-am" <rcollins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jakarta Post
http://www.thejakartapost.com:8890/iscp_render?menu_name=frontpage

Four die in clash between protesters and security
September 24, 1999 - 14:55

    JAKARTA (JP): At least three civilians and one police officer died and
over 100 others were wounded in a massive student protest here over the
past two days, hospital sources and police said on Friday.

    A staff member at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital said one of the
victims was shot in the forehead on Friday morning by security personnel,
while it is likely that the other two, sent there by another hospital, were
beaten to death during the protest, which turned violent on Thursday
afternoon and resumed on Friday.

    City police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said a member of the
police Mobile Brigade, Pvt. I Ketut Arman, was killed in a hit-and-run
accident during the protest late Thursday. Police said they had detained 42
people involved in clashes.

    Meanwhile, the situation around Atma Jaya University in Central Jakarta
remained tense on Friday afternoon. Some of the protesting students
continued to gather at the university. The area has been sealed off by the
police.

    Civilians and nearby residents joined the student rally on Thursday
evening, pelting stones and other debris at the security personnel. They
burned at least one car on Friday morning. Police and troops fired shots
and tear gas at the crowd.

    Many shops, offices and banks closed early in anticipation of further
violence, and automatic teller machines discontinued services. Jakarta saw
less cars on the streets as people chose to stay off the road.

    The protest started on Thursday after the House of Representatives
approved the controversial state security bill, which is feared to give
sweeping powers to the military. (04/ylt/ind/03/asa)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Friday, 24 September 1999

House Members' Ignorance Leads to Bloody Clash in Jakarta Streets
http://www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/9909/24/ENGLISH/hous.htm


Jakarta, Kompas Online


Only seconds after the outgoing House Representatives of the New Order
knocked its hammer to endorse the draft law of state of emergency,
thousands of students, political party activists and members of
non-governmental and professional organizations took to the streets
Thursday to protest the law.


Clashes between demonstrators and security forces injured tens of people.
Some of them had to be treated in emergency rooms. There is no exact figure
of victims since incidents occured at several different places.


Until 23.00 P.M., students still gathered inside campus of Atmajaya
University in Jakarta's downtown as security forces fired tear gas into the
campus compound.


The students hit back by throwing molotov cocktails. The Jl. Sudirman
thoroughfare was closed as crowds watched the event from nearby Bank
Danamon building area. Some people felled traffic lights and fences.


At 23.30 P.M., several students went out of the university compound and
threw molotov cocktails. One of the anti-riot troops was fired on his back.
Only a few minutes later, the troops stormed toward the students, firing
shots and beating them up.


The anti-riot troops tried to break through the main gate of the campus.
But rock-throwing students withheld them. The troops fired for a few
minutes amid thick smoke and tear gas.


At midnight, security forces forcefully dispersed people who watched the
incident from near Bank Danamon. That was reminiscent of the Semanggi
tragedy in November last year that occurred at the same place. At least 11
students or demonstrators were killed in the incident.


Security forces had been mobilized since in the morning, not only at roads
leading to the House of Representatives (DPR) building but also on places
near university campuses.


A group of activists who gathered near a housing area at Pejompongon were
dispersed forcefully by security forces. But they later could not be
stopped from taking part in the protest against the newly passed state of
emergency law.


The crowds that had been pushed back and dispersed gathered again near the
Semanggi fly-over in Jakarta's downtown. The number of people taking part
increased, snarling the toll road next the fly-over. The protesters marched
in high tone of enthusiasm.


They chanted and yelled anti-military slogans. They also carried posters
scolding the military.


The group of Student Action Front for Reforms and Democracy led the march
from the direction of semanggi carrying a coffin attached with a banner
that read "Our Condolence for the Death of Human Rights" and another poster
that read "Habibie-Wiranto Crimes Against Humanity."


They were followed by supporters of the independent All-Indonesia Labor
Union, Pancasila Student Movement and Pancasila Student for Reforms,
Muhammadiyah students and activists of the Association of Independent
Journalists and other non-governmental organizations.


Earlier in the morning, a small group of supporters of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle held a demonstration near the housing complex
of DPR in Kalibata, south Jakarta, in an attempt to stop House members from
going to DPR building.


But House members had been provided with rooms at Hotel Mulia near the DPR
building. A number of top officials of the National Mandate Party including
Faisal Basri and Bara Hasibuan joined the demonstrators.


Basri said the reasoning given by DPR members that the state of emergency
law is lighter than the government 1959 regulation on similar subject does
not make sense. He said DPR simply has to abolish the law.


He said the next move would be to ask political parties with big votes in
this year's elections to quickly abolish the state of emergency law.


While students and protesters were marching from Semanggi direction to DPR
building, another 700 students and people were ready to try to break
through the security forces' barricades near the intersection between JL
Palmerah Barat street and Slipi.


The demonstration grew tense after rocks were thrown to security forces.
They started to fire tear gas as soon as demonstrators threw molotov
cocktails.


The demonstrators were dispersed but they were trying to fight back by
throwing rocks. The security forces moved on and chased away the
demonstrators. More than 10 people were wounded in that incident including
two heavy injuries. Several students were hauled to a minivan and were
driven away.


When the situation calmed as students and masses dispersed, 23 students
were found by the security forces to be hiding in an empty house near BII
bank building on JL Palmerah Utara street. They were hauled onto a police
truck. The students were from Universitas Nasional and Universitas Widuri.
Enggar, a female student, cried hysterically in shock when security forces
stormed into the house.(*)

-----





     --- from list aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---