- Title: INDONESIA: STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST HIGH COST OF LIVING.
- Date: 25th May 1966
- Summary: STUDENTS TOWARDS PARLIAMENT HOUSE; MARINES CORDONING PARLIAMENT; STUDENTS NEAR FENCE, ONE CLIMBS OVER; STUDENTS SWARM OVER TROOPS AND TOWARDS PARLIAMENT; MARINES CONTROLLING STUDENTS (HERE TROOPS FIRED MACHINE-GUN BURSTS IN THE AIR); STUDENTS CHANTING AND SINGING; STUDENT DELEGATION INSIDE PARLIAMENT HOUSE; STUDENT LEADER COMPLAINING; SPEAKER ACHEMAD SJAICHU LISTEN
- Embargoed: 9th June 1966 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: DJAKARTA, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Reuters ID: LVA7MDF7EOGNGWF5IXPK2PLBOVUG
- Story Text: FIVE THOUSAND DJAKARTA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS SWARMED OVER TROOPS GUARDING THE INDONESIAN PARLIAMENT ON MONDAY TO PROTEST AGAINST THE HIGH COST OF LIVING AND DEMAND A MEETING OF THE PEOPLE'S CONSULTATIVE BY JUNE 1ST.
ABOUT 200 INDONESIAN MARINES GUARDING THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING FIRED MACHINE-GUN BURSTS IN THE AIR, BUT WERE FORCED BACK. THE MARINES WERE UNDER ORDERS TO PREVENT THE STUDENTS GETTING INTO THE GROUNDS, BUT THE DEMONSTRATORS POURED OVER THE HIGH IRON FENCE AROUND THE BUILDING IN A TORRENT.
THE STUDENTS SURROUNDED THE BUILDING CHANTING AND SINGING 'DOWN WITH PRICES' AND 'CONGRESS MEETS BY JUNE 1ST.' THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO HEAR A SCHEDULED ADDRESS TO THE HOUSE BY SULTAN HAMENGKU BUWONO, DEPUTY PREMIER IN CHARGE OF FINANCE.
THE SULTAN, WHO HAD ALREADY GIVEN HIS SPEECH, DEPARTED WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT SHORTLY AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF THE STUDENTS.
A TEN-MAN STUDENT DELEGATION WAS RECEIVED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, MR. ACHMAD SJAICHU, WHO LISTENED TO THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ECONOMIC SITUATION, AND DEMANDS FOR THE HOLDING OF CONGRESS, OF WHICH PARLIAMENT IS A PART. HE SAID PARLIAMENT WAS DOING ITS BEST TO SOLVE THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC PROBLEMS, AND IT AGREED THAT CONGRESS SHOULD MEET ON JUNE 1ST.
THE CONGRESS IS THE HIGHEST POLICY-MAKING BODY IN INDONESIA, WHICH WAS TO HAVE MET ON MAY 12. IT WAS POSTPONED BY THE CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF AND EXECUTIVE POWER HOLDER IN THE STATE, LIEUTENANT GENERAL SUHARTO, FOR FEAR OF A NEW POLITICAL CRISIS DEVELOPING OUT OF PROBABLE CRITICISM OF PRESIDENT SUKARNO.
YESTERDAY (TUESDAY), LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SUHARTO AGAIN POSTPONED THE SITTING OF THE CONGRESS ON JUNE 1ST FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD DUE TO SECURITY REASONS.
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