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Saturday, September 25, 1999 Published at 15:05 GMT 16:05 UK


World: Asia-Pacific

Students march in Jakarta

Emotions ran high as the students advanced on parliament

Indonesian students have again taken to the streets of the capital, Jakarta, calling for the resignations of President BJ Habibie and the army chief of staff, General Wiranto.


The BBC's Jim Fish: "This time the students were in mourning, carrying flowers and black banners"
In the latest challenge to the authorities, the students began a march on parliament, calling for justice for the seven people killed in two days of severe rioting.

There was no repeat of the earlier clashes with the security forces, who maintained a relatively low profile - though they denied the students access to the parliament building.


The BBC's Humphrey Hawksley: "The mood here is, 'whatever the cost'"
"Revolution until we die," the students chanted as they set off from the Atma Jaya university, scene of a tense stand-off with the security forces in recent days.

Fragile Archipelago
The demonstrators carried wreaths of flowers and banners reading "Wiranto you are scum" and "We are people, not targets for shooting".

The Indonesian Government had hoped that Friday's suspension of a controversial new security law would ease the tension on Jakarta's streets.

The street protests on Thursday and Friday had focused on the Prevention of Danger law, which gives the army sweeping new powers of arrest and control under any "emergency situations" agreed with the president.


[ image: Students took over government radio in Bandung, West Java]
Students took over government radio in Bandung, West Java
"Habibie is responsible for the fall of so many victims from among the people and students," said a statement issued by 30 student and human rights groups.

"We are not satisfied with the suspension of the state security bill, therefore we demand that parliament revoke the bill and the 1959 law on emergency conditions," the statement added.

The latest fatalities were a nine-year-old boy and a 20-year-old engineering student, both shot by police on Friday evening, according to the Jakarta Post newspaper.

Clashes spread

An Indonesian cabinet spokesman said implementation of the security law was being put on hold "until a suitable time" because half the people did not understand it.


[ image: The mother of a student killed on Friday is comforted]
The mother of a student killed on Friday is comforted
Earlier, General Wiranto insisted that the law - which would allow the military to control the media and ban demonstrations - was "in line with democracy and human rights".

Violence has also been reported in the North Sumatran city of Medan, where 2,000 students blocked roads and clashed with security forces.

At Bandung in West Java, 112 miles (180km) east of Jakarta, students occupied the government radio station and read statements denouncing the security law.

On Thursday and Friday, more than 90 demonstrators were injured as the disturbances spread beyond Jakarta to Indonesia's second city, Surabaya, the resort island of Bali and the western province of Aceh.



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