Suharto army warns student rioters
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.INDONESIAN students fought with police in further campus demonstrations against President Suharto yesterday, while the commander of the armed forces warned that the army would act against protesters who engage in "destructive acts".
"Abri [the Indonesian armed forces] clearly insists that such activities should be controlled and not be directed to unhealthy and disorderly acts," General Wiranto told reporters at the defence department in Jakarta. "If their actions are destructive, then ... they have to face the legal apparatus, which includes the armed forces."
Campus demonstrations have taken place all over Indonesia throughout the 11-day meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) which re- elected President Suharto for a seventh consecutive term on Wednesday.
Yesterday, small and peaceful protests took place for the second day running in Jakarta and Yogyakarta in Java. But in Surabaya, Indonesia's second city, a dozen students were injured in fights with police, four of them seriously.
Indonesia is suffering from drought and an economic crisis which has seen the value of the rupiah drop by more than two-thirds. "We are in a monetary, economic and confidence crisis that will be difficult to get out of," President Suharto admitted yesterday. "It is no exaggeration to say that the development success we have achieved in the past 30 years seems to have been destroyed suddenly by this crisis."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments