Jakarta Showdown

In Jakarta, Indonesia, tens of thousands of students, office workers, and residents took to the streets last week to oppose the Indonesian government. They were protesting a four-day session of the People's Consultative Assembly, a group of hand-picked Suharto holdovers, who were debating governmental "reforms."

Those so-called reforms included: a proposal to investigate corruption by Suharto and his associates (but no means to prosecute the guilty), provisions for general elections next May or June (but no specific date was set), and a vague promise to do something about economic disparity. The real kicker was the last item on the agenda: a proposal to allow the military to continue holding seats in the Indonesian parliament. Although most Indonesians think the reforms are a joke, this proposal was the only one that split the delegates at the assembly; the United Development Party (UDP), backed by moderate Muslims, refused to support it and staged a walk-out.

Notably, the UDP is the only party that has shown support for Jakarta's students, who staged rallies and marches throughout the city during all four days of the assembly, in spite of President Habibie's ban on public demonstrations. In order to keep students from reaching and occupying the parliament building (as they did for one intense and pivotal week in May, which led to Suharto's downfall), Habibie posted 30,000 troops and police in riot gear throughout the city, and backed them up with tanks, armored vehicles, and helicopters. On Tuesday morning, pro-government demonstrators stood outside Parliament and waved sharpened bamboo sticks, shook down local residents for cigarettes and money, and attacked passers-by, while the military watched in amusement.

In spite of this intimidation, anti-government student demonstrators turned out in enormous numbers. On Tuesday and Wednesday, thousands scattered throughout the city in an attempt to evade barricades and reach the parliament building. When that failed, they massed along main thoroughfares and tried to push through the barricades. Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets fired at the demonstrators' legs, and water cannons. Two people died: one high school student and a policeman. By Thursday, the ranks had more than doubled, with office workers and local residents turning out to support the students or cheer them on.

In the face of these numbers, General Wiranto, Pres. Habibie's puppetmaster, ordered troops to "take firmer action." By Thursday evening, local hospitals began to fill with students bleeding from critical gunshot wounds. Troops were no longer shooting at demonstrators' legs; instead, they were firing directly at people's chests and heads. Associated Press reporters told of soldiers firing directly into buildings at the Atama Jaya Catholic University, the staging ground for the student protesters; several students were later evacuated on stretchers. At least ten people died from this attack.

The main battle ground, however, was on Jalan Sudirman, the city's main thoroughfare, where most of the country's largest banks and businesses have their offices. At the northern end of the street is the British Embassy and the presidential palace, and at the southern end is Atama Jaya University. The street itself is only half a mile from the parliament building, and it's here that most of the protesters gathered on Friday, shortly after the morning Islamic prayers.

Again they were met with rubber bullets and tear gas, but this time some demonstrators fought back, throwing rocks, street signs, molotov cocktails, and bits of concrete paving. Troops responded by marching down the street and firing directly into the crowd; three more demonstrators were killed. The demonstrators retreated, and an uneasy truce was established. The day-long standoff began with people sitting and lying down along the length of what is usually the busiest street in Jakarta. Children from a nearby slum joined them, beating stones on metal dividers in the middle of the street. Local residents swarmed onto an overpass above the street to watch the standoff and serve as witnesses. Night fell with about 5,000 demonstrators still chanting, waving Indonesian flags, and singing anti-government songs.

Then the troops swept forward a second time, spraying protesters with bullets and lobbing tear gas shells. Finally a group of student leaders emerged from a building at Atama Jaya University with their hands in the air, calling for a truce. By the time the violence ended, over 21 people had died during the four days, including a woman who was working for a local radio station, shot down on the main street of Jakarta on Friday evening. At least 120 people, mostly young students, were seriously injured.

And while all this was going on, delegates in the parliament building kept rushing up to reporters between sessions and nervously asking: "what's going on outside?" They seemed both afraid for their own hides and hopeful that they were effectively calming the populace. But their questions only showed how cut off they are from what the rest of Indonesia wants, which is: Habibie removed, Suharto prosecuted, and the military booted out of Parliament.