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Students burn flags of three political parties in Medan

Detik.acom - June 10, 2004

Khairul Ikhwan, Medan – Around 100 students from the People’s Youth Community (Komunitas Muda Rakyat) held a demonstration in Medan at the General Elections Commission (KPU) offices on Thursday June 10 in which they rejected the involvement of the New Order regime of former President Suharto and the military in the up-coming presidential elections.

The students began with a long-march to the KPU offices on Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan in the South Sumatra provincial capital of Medan. “We call for the New Order to be destroyed, reject the dual function of the military, reject the status quo [forces] and [call] for cases of [violations against] the people to be resolved”, said the action coordinator, Rinto Hutapea. A delegation of students was received by KPU chairperson Irham Buana Nasution.

The students then set fire the flags of three political parties, the former state ruling party Golkar, the Concern for the Nation Functional Party [which is headed by Suharto’s eldest daughter] and the Democratic Party [who’s presidential candidate is former coordinating minister for politics and security retired General Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono]. “Burn, burn, burn” shouted the protesters.

Scores of local police appeared on the scene but did not prevent the flags being burnt. The students also held an action in which they scratched out the name of the KPU on its name board and wrote “The elections are not democratic if the New Order is not destroyed, Golkar still exists and there has been no resolution to cases [of violations against] the people”. (aan)

[Translated by James Balowski.]


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