Precedence: bulk CHRONOLOGY OF MASS ACTION REJECTING EMERGENCY LAWS BILL. JAKARTA (SiaR, 24/9/99). Around 07:00 Western Indonesia Time, at least 50 youths demonstrated at the Parliamentary housing complex in Kalibata, Jakarta. They attempted to stop the members of parliament from going to the Parliament building in Senayan by flattening tyres. However, this plan failed because the members of Parliament had spent the night at the Mulia Hotel, 20 metres from the Parliament building. 09:00 WIT: they left the location by public transportation and made their way to the parliament building. Around 09:40: the Draft Emergency Laws were passed by parliament. 13:25 WIT; around 1000 students and members of the public of the National United Front approached the DPR/MPR Building (parliament and general assembly building). They were blocked by security forces in front of the Jakarta Design Centre (JDC) with tight barricades: first a fence of barbed wire, next roughly 500 Anti Riot troops from the West Jakarta Police Resort, some 20 tear-gas launchers, and 200 Anti Riot troops from the Greater Jakarta Military Command. At the same time, below the Taman Ria fly-over, 30 people claiming to be from the Forum for People's Justice (FKR) showed up from the Semper community of North Jakarta, also rejecting the Draft Emergency Laws. At 12:00 WIT, the situation in Jakarta was still normal, except that the toll-gate at the Senayan exit had been blocked by a military truck. Around 13:30, the mass of students began to arrive. A number of university campuses in Jakarta, including the Moestopo University, ISTN, Sahid University, and others had been blocked by security forces. Sources say that at least 2700 military and police personnel were deployed to secure the parliamentary session to pass the Emergency bill. According to the sources, the Greater Jakarta Police had ready as many as 7800 personnel from a number of units, and KAMRA (Civilian Security Force) to secure Jakarta until the General Assembly of the People's Consultative Body. The KAMRA had been issued shields and batons. Personnel on ready for the General Assembly, a.o. are: 2800 police, 316 troops from the Armed 10 Bogor, 398 troops from the Infantry Brigade II Cilandak; 425 troops from Division I, Army Strategic Reserves (KOSTRAD), Bandung; 100 troops from the Military Police (POM). 2000 of these troops will be assigned to secure the Parliament Building, 100 to secure the National Monument square, 300 troops to secure the president's residence at Patra Kuningan, 400 troops are to be positioned at Taman Suropati (Central Jakarta), 1563 troops at Tomang [West Jakarta, approach to Parliament complex]. Around 13:50 WIT, there was a massive traffic jam on Jl. Sudirman in the direction of the Semanggi cloverleaf. Masses began to converge on the Atma Jaya university campus. Around 14:00, at least 1500 students from Famred [students for democracy] had arrived in front of the JHCC [near parliament building]. They carried a black coffin bearing the words, "Condolences for the Death of Human Rights" as a sign of their reaction to the passing of the Emergency Law. Meanwhile, some 1000 members of FNB moved from Palmerah and were blocked by security forces. At around 13:55 there was a struggle over the barbed-wire barricade. Not long after the effort to remove the barricade, around 8 riot squad trucks arrived and some 400 personnel filed the street. They were joined by around 50 police who took up positions in front of the barricades. At around 14:10 WIT, demonstrators became embroiled in a small skirmish with the police at the front of the barricades. Because the students became stronger, the troops beat some of them with batons. Students responded by throwing stones. At 14:40 WIT, a clash occurred between demonstrators and security forces on Jl. Palmerah Utara. Because demonstrators were throwing stones, the security forces were enraged and pursued the demonstrators, breaking their ranks. The Security forces began to shoot and two people fell. One of the victims was Koswara, a resident of Tegalwaru. He appeared to be alive but severly injured. Another person of unknown identity appeared seriously injured and bleeding from a shot to the head. He lay in a kiosk not far from the site. Not long after, a Kijang van bearing the Police license-plate 3307-VII came to carry away the two fallen men, covering them with cloth from banners. The security forces arrested 17 people assigned to logistics duty, who were driving a Kijang van of logistics to demonstrators in the grounds of the BII Bank, Palmerah. They also arrested a resident who was in the BII office. Meanwhile, on the Moestopo university campus, security forces and students had been hurling things at each other since the early afternoon. Marines came to replace the police, and the two units were heard exchanging insults, almost leading to a fight between the two units. At 16:15 WIT, security forces shot tear-gas and bullets at the masses on the Senayan fly-over. Students broke ranks but threw stones. A security vehicle was burnt. At 16:30, Forkot (City Forum) were on the Slipi toll-road, confronting security forces. Exchanges of beatings ensued. A security man was hit by a stone, and forces attacked with tear-gas. Students picked up the tear-gas canisters and threw them back in the direction of the security forces, forcing them to withdraw. Forces then attempted another attack. Students responded by hurling stones. An Army vehilce, license-plate 8146/45 was burnt. At 17:00, after washing faces at hydrants at the JHCC, students began to push forward in close ranks, intending to make their way to the Parliament building. The Senayan toll gate burst into flames. At 17:30 students were pushed back to Semanggi. A mother and her three children were suddenly beaten by security forces around the JHCC. In the meantime, masses in front of the Navy laboratory (Ladogi), consisting of students and residents, faced riot squads, both sides throwing stones at each other. One riot squad member sustained injury to the head. Around 18:00 WIT, a Kijang van, with police number 1720/VII was burnt by students in front of the Atmajaya University campus. One hundred police troops secured the Semanggi fly-over. Some of the students held their position at the Cawang-Grogol toll, hundreds of students held their position at Semanggi and continued to throw molotovs. The security forces received new ammunition, 12 boxes containing tear gas and bullets. At 18:50 WIT, the situation was similar to the 13 September Semanggi Tragedy of last year. Non-student masses grew in numbers. The Police Riot Squads began to panic and shot bullets and tear-gas. At 19:25, rounds of gunfire were heard again around the Semanggi fly-over. One Navy school bus was burnt by the students. Tear gas was shot into the masses. Retreating students withdrew into the Atmajaya campus. The security forces tried to force back the masses on Jalan Semanggi, apparently to push them into the Atmajaya Campus. Warning shots continued to be fired. The masses ran, then returned and launched a counter-attack hurling stones, pieces of wood and water bottles. A similar situation was also seen around the Semanggi area leading to the Atmajaya campus. By 23:00, most students were well-nigh concentrated on the Atma Jaya Campus. They were trapped inside the campus. All logistics units attempting to enter [bringing food and other supplies] were blocked by security forces. Up until 00:00, the number of victims evacuated had reached 164 people. They were taken to the nearest hospitals, the Mintohardjo Navy Hospital, St. Carolus Hospital, and Jakarta hospital. After 02:00, conflict ended. Both sides took up positions around the Atma Jaya campus and Semanggi. Suddenly, at around 04:00, a number of soldiers entered the Atma Jaya campus where the students had formed their base. Soldiers and police shot at random at the masses gathered there. They also smashed windows and destroyed cars on the grounds of the Atma Jaya campus. Sporadic gunshots continued to be heard afterwards. At 07:00, the Commander of the Islam Defense Front (Front Pembela Islam) militia, Habib Razief Sidiq arrived at Semanggi with around 20 men wearing white turbans. They engaged the police and soldiers in serious conversation. At around 09:00 some of the students had been evacuated from Atmajaya to other nearby university campuses in an effort to avoid triggering religious issues. They had heard a rumour that said that the Front Pembela Islam (FPI, Islam Defense Front) had been asked by Major General Djaja Suparmon, Military Commander of Greater Jakarta, to attack the students at Atma Jaya after the Friday prayers. Up until mid-day (12:00), conflicts continued. This time, residents of Bendungan Hilir "battled" the security forces because the tear-gas shot by the security forces had entered their residence areas. One person was shot in the eye by the Anti Riot squad, and died.*** ---------- SiaR WEBSITE: http://apchr.murdoch.edu.au/minihub/siarlist/maillist.html
