INDONESIA: Right wing attacks on pro-democracy students

BY KERRYN WILLIAMS

On March 12, a group of 70 masked thugs armed with batons, machetes
and bamboo sticks attacked the Jakarta offices of the National Student
League for Democracy (LMND). They smashed the gate, door and windows, then
trashed the offices. Computers, telephones, a printer and a modem were
destroyed. Documents and books from the LMND's library were stolen.

According to the LMND, the perpetrators were members of the Ka'bah Youth
Movement (GPK), a right-wing Islamic organisation that has recently carried
out violent attacks against the LMND in Yogyakarta and Medan.

The attack is part of an attempted come-back by the right-wing in Indonesia,
which includes former dictator Suharto's Golkar party, the Indonesian armed
forces and rightist Muslims. Conservative student groups such as the GPK
are aiding this push by their efforts to mobilise people to overthrow Indonesian
President Abdurrahman Wahid (also known as Gus Dur).

During March 12-14, the GPK, along with the right-wing controlled student
executive boards, held an action inside the Parliament complex to demand
that Wahid step down. Around 5000 students participated and the police
and military did not intervene. This was in stark contrast to an anti-Golkar
protest on March 13 that was brutally attacked by the mobile military brigades.
Student protesters were run over by motorcycles then severely beaten.

In response to this attack, a 10,000-strong protest was organised by
the Disband Golkar Alliance on March 14. The demonstration was in opposition
to the “remnants of the New Order” (former Suharto regime and his allies)
and also called on the Indonesian people to “leave behind the fake reformers”.
Mundo, international officer for the LMND, reported that some members of
the GPK attacked demonstrators with knives, wounding five, at the beginning
of the demonstration.

Mundo described the right-wing student organisations' campaign to oust
the president as hypocritical. “They haven't participated in any of the
pro-democracy demonstrations since Suharto stepped down. [They have not
struggled for] democracy, against military oppression, to bring Suharto
to justice, against the rise of oil prices or to smash the remnants of
the New Order for its human rights crimes and economic corruption.”

Mundo rejected the media's presentation of protest actions as being
either for or against Wahid. “We aren't pro Gus Dur. We are against the
remnants of the New Order, and if Gus Dur won't support us by smashing
them, we don't support him and he is just like them because he is willing
to make concessions with them.”

The LMND and the organisations and alliances they are working with plan
to continue demonstrations outside Golkar party offices and parliament.
The LMND are also helping to organise students, workers, peasants and the
urban poor to fight against the impact of the military and bureaucracy
on their lives.

Mundo told Green Left Weekly that the LMND is urgently trying
to raise funds to get their offices running and replace the desperately
needed computer equipment and political resources. If you can help, contact
Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET) on (02) 9690
1230 or email <asiet@asiet.org.au>.
Visit the ASIET web site at <http://www.asiet.org.au>. 

From GLW issue 441