NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/10355

Text File | 1993-01-26 | 10.3 KB | 200 lines

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Path: sparky!uunet!gatech!ukma!mont!pencil.cs.missouri.edu!rich
From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Indonesian student activists arrested
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/** reg.seasia: 311.0 **/
** Topic: student arrest **
** Written  7:25 pm  Jan 25, 1993 by gn:geonet in cdp:reg.seasia **
Subject: student arrest
From: [e-mail]
Date: 25-01-93, 19:12:59
To: ASIA-PACIFIC

APPEAL FOR SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT
Re: Arrest of Indonesian Students
Sixteen (16) students from various universities in Indonesia were
arrested by Marines in a bus terminal in Surabaya, East Java last
25 January 1993. The students belonging to the Committee for the
Solidarity with the People of Blangguan (KIRAB) planned to hold an
action i.e. corn planting with the Blangguan residents. They were
however, prevented from reaching the village area which was heavily
surrounded by marines. (more details below)
Arrested were:
1. Yuni,  youth activist (Yogyakarta)
2. Ambar, student, Islamic University of Indonesia (Yogyakarta)
3. Catur, student, Foreign Language Academy (Yogyakarta)
4. Ajikusumo, student, Gajah Mada University (Yogyakarta)
5. Bowo, student, Gajah Mada University (Yogyakarta)
6. Antok, student, Gajah Mada University (Yogyakarta)
7. Webby, student, Gajah Mada University (Yogyakarta)
8. Daenuri, student, Gajah Mada University (Yogyakarta)
9. Budiman, youth activist (Yogyakarta)
10. Kishori, student, Muhammadiyah University (Yogyakarta)
11. Slamet, student, Muhammadiyah University (Yogyakarta)
12. Hari Sutanto, student, Deponegoro University (Semarang)
13. Wilson, student, University of Indonesia (Jakarta)
14. Irwan, student, University of Indonesia (Jakarta)
15. Rivo, student, University of Indonesia (Jakarta)
16. Anwar, peasant from Blangguan (Situbondo)
As of 1800, 25 January, 4 other students are unaccounted for. They
are:
1. Justin, student, Gajah Mada University (Yogyakarta)
2. Abdullah, student, Islamic University of Indonesia (Yogyakarta)
3. Jayadi, student, Muhammadiyah University (Yogyakarta)
4. Bonzai, student, UPN (Yogyakarta)
It is suspected that the students were taken to the military
headquarters.
The
Asian Students' Association (ASA) appeals to the international
community to extend solidarity to the arrested students and the
Blangguan farmers who are constantly under threat and harassment
from the Indonesian military.
ASA urges friends and supporters of the Indonesian people's clamor
for genuine democracy to:
1. Disseminate/publicize this information to other friends;
2. Organise actions (before Indonesian consulates/embassies in your
respective countries) condemning the arrest, demanding for the
unconditional release and fair treatment of detained students;
demanding the Indonesian military to leave the land which belongs
to the Blangguan people and to stop using the land for "war games".
3. Write protest letters/send faxes to Indonesian government,
military through Indonesian consulates/embassies in your respective
countries.
4. Send donations to KIRAB. They are organising protest actions in
3 cities in Indonesia, in addition to their efforts to secure the
release of the 16 arrested students. They need funds to facilitate
their work urgently.
For more information, please contact Asian Students' Association
(ASA) in Hong Kong: phone [phone], fax [phone].
Chronology of Events
Monday, 25 January 1993.
0730 hours: One by one, groups of KIRAB activists left for the East
Javanese Provincial Parliament Building in Surabaya.
0830 hours: All groups reached the area. The action was to start
at 1000 hours.
0930 hours: All groups began approaching the Parliament Building.
They began putting up posters while singing progressive songs. They
held a forum. The demonstrators then entered the grounds of the
PArliament Building, approximately 15 minutes after they began
their approach.
1000 hours: KIRAB negotiators succeeded in forcing members of the
Parliament to a dialogue. The demand of the Blangguan people were
put forward. The KIRAB delegation was received by the military
(ABRI), Development Unity (PPP) and Democratic (PDI) parliamentary
factions (other than the government "functional group" - GOLKAR).
The discussion room was full of intelligence agents from various
branches. At the end of the dialogue, the KIRAB delegation asked
for a guarantee to their safety. The discussion closed with the
singing of the patriotic song "Padamu Negeri" (To You, My Country).
1130 hours: KIRAB delegation upon leaving the Parliament Building
were immediately approached and surrounded by about 50 local
military and police personnel. On the steps of the Parliament, a
war of nerves followed. Colonel Sutarmas gave his personal
guarantee as long as the KIRAB activists give their names. Some
students handed over their student identity cards.
1210 hours: KIRAB left vicinity and headed for the bus terminal.
1325 hours: An intelligence officer wearing a blue shirt approached
Irwan (one of the activists) who was sitting down. He made signs
with his arms then yelled "Arrest them all!". A tall intelligence
officer wearing a dark brown shirt approached Irwan from behind,
grabbed his hair roughly and began to punch him on the head
repeatedly. Irwan stood up to approach friends who protected him.
A tug-o-war ensued between them and the intelligence officers. The
commotion attracted the bus station's staff, terminal security and
military personnel who were on their way home. The "head of
operations" tried to agitate the onlookers by saying that the
students had insulted the armed forces. While all this was going
on, other intelligence officers surrounded the waiting area and
grabbed KIRAB members who were still there. Some Marines who were
attracted by the intelligence's agitation began to threaten those
protecting Irwan - with machetes. Shortly afterwards, the students
were rounded-up and arrested.
STUDENTS AND FARMERS CLASH WITH MARINES IN EAST JAVA
Students from major campuses all around Java and farmers from
Blangguan area of East Java clashed on Saturday 23 January as they
prepared to carry out a protest action against the local Marine
base for attempting to force them off their land. The 136 farmer
families - 600 people in all, have farmed the area since 1923. They
have been the targets of intimidation since November 1992. A local
battalion of Marines, the "Sugeng Harjotaruno" Battalion, has been
claiming the area as a permanent war games area.
Throughout December 1992, they were subjected to such actions as
bombardment of their corn fields, having tanks run down their
fences and through their fields and crash into their houses. Many
families had their houses wrecked by tank attacks or by marines
dismantling the roofs and taking the tiles or other materials back
to base. Any farmer who attempted to repair his or her house was
then subjected to further harassment. They were threatened with
having their houses totally demolished. The local food stall was
ordered permanently closed by the marines and the farmers told that
if they planted any new corn, the marines would come and pull it
out after one month's growth.
The farmers had already protested the attempt to seize their land
to the local parliament but without result. They had particularly
raised the issue of the paltry offer of Rp200 (10 cents per metre
for quite good land).
The protest action planned for 23 January was to take the form of
mass planting of corn on the farmers' land as an act of defiance
to confirm the farmers' dependence on the land for their
livelihood. A delegation of 25 students from several cities were
also to participate as an act of solidarity. The students also
arranged press coverage for the action.
On arriving in the conflict area, the students found that the area
was saturated with Marines. Entrances to villages were tightly
guarded by armed sentries. Jeeps were patrolling the laneways and
roads on a constant basis. Even at the bus station in the nearby
town where the students first arrived, there were large detachments
of intelligence operatives taking down notes and following them.
The students' bus was also followed by men obviously from military
intelligence.
In order to find out what was happening inside the village, one
student and one representative from the village who had come out
to meet them were sent back inside on Saturday evening to try to
find out what was happening.
As of Sunday, 24 January, they had not returned and no news had
been heard of them.
Meanwhile, the students gathered in a designated house on the edge
of the conflict area. The military, Marines, as well as local army
and police units began house-to-house searches trying to locate the
students. Women's screams could be heard as soldiers attempted to
extract information. 3 to 5 soldiers guarded all strategic spots
throughout the area.
Finally, the students decided to withdraw as reports kept coming
in of an increasing level of intimidation against the villagers.
Meanwhile, no news had been heard of the two people sent into the
conflict area itself, the neighbourhood where the activist farmers
were living. The 25 students made their way out of the area across
the flooded rice fields apparently followed by army units. They
finally reached a main road where more intelligence agents were
waiting on motor bikes. The students stopped a passing bus and
boarded. Ten minutes later, the bus was stopped and the driver
harassed by soldiers for helping the students.
The students were able to get off the bus. 23 headed for a secure
address in Surabaya, the nearby East Java capital city and three
others, including 2 farmers, headed for the Provincial Parliament
building and newspaper offices. The Surabaya Post came out that
afternoon with a report on the action and the harassment.
Meanwhile, reports have reached the student organisers that the
remaining 20 have been arrested, including Irwan, the coordinator
of the student solidarity action. As of Sunday, no further word has
been received concerning these students. The Blangguan Solidarity
Committee has issued a statement on 23 January condemning the
military harassment and calling for farmers to have the right to
freely farm their land. (25/01/93)



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