By Abdul Hadi
At least six people were killed on July 27, when soldiers attacked the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). The headquarters, a house in a central Jakarta suburb, had been the focus of daily "democracy forums" over the last few weeks protesting against the regime's interference in PDI affairs.
The regime is backing a renegade group that claims to be the leadership of the PDI in place of Megawati Sukarnoputri, who has emerged as a symbol of protest against the dictatorship.
About 400 Megawati supporters were staying in the headquarters on the night of July 26. At 3am, five truck loads of military arrived. Soon after, 800 "youths" wearing red T-shirts and headbands proclaiming support for the renegade leaders assembled across the road. They were armed with commando knives, giving rise to suspicions that they were actually members of the Kopassus commando forces.
At 6am, the pro-renegade "youths" began throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails into the compound of the PDI headquarters, setting fire to several Megawati supporters.
At 6.30, the attackers entered the compound, followed soon after by the soldiers. By 7.30, the Megawati supporters had been evicted from the PDI office.
At 10am, 5000-10,000 Megawati supporters assembled nearby and began to hold an open forum. They were blocked from marching by two tanks and a barricade across the road.
Following several speeches from PDI members, the crowd broke through the barricade and started to march, chanting, "The army are killers! Long live Mega!". They were immediately attacked by troops from the Jakarta garrison and the Strategic Army Command.
The marchers were forced to disperse as soldiers chased and attacked them with iron batons. Many fled to the nearby Cikini hospital and to the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute building. As of Sunday afternoon, many people were still sheltering in the institute or the hospital.
According to People's Democratic Party (PRD) spokesperson Astika Anom, PDI and PRD activists are reorganising in the wake of the attacks. "The PRD will help wherever we can. There will be no let-up in this struggle. Megawati has also made it clear that she will not surrender her party to the people installed by the government."