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20 LMND activist hold hunger strike rejecting the elections

Detik.com - June 12, 2004

Budi Hartadi, Surabaya – Twenty activists form the Indonesian National Student League for Democracy (LMND) are holding a hunger strike to reject the 2004 presidential elections because they believe that only candidates from the former state ruling party Golkar, the military and the fake reformists are involved.

The hunger strike which started on Saturday June 12, is being held at the Taman Surya park in front of the State Grahadi building on Jalan Gubernur Suryo in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya.

“Only the Golkar Party, the military and the fake reformists are competing in the 2004 [presidential] elections. We reject [former armed forces chief and Golkar candidate] Wiranto, [former coordinating minister for politics and security and Democratic Party candidate] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and [National Mandate Party chairperson] Amien Rais. We don’t believe it is appropriate for them to lead the nation”, said LMND chairperson Budi Wibowo.

As of going to press, scores of LMND demonstrators were still giving speeches and holding up posters and banners. They plan to continue the hunger strike until June 16 although it is not clear why.

The action was not closely guarded by police and because there were not a large number of demonstrators it did not disrupt traffic. The public also did not pay a much attention to the action. (djo)

[Translated by James Balowski.]