M. Munab Islah Ahyani, Bandung -- As many as 1000 activists from the Students Executive Council (BEM) from all institutions of higher education, except for the Bandung Institute of Technology, demonstrated in front of the West Java parliament today.

For the umpteenth time, BEM declared its mistrust of the elite. As a result of the action the streets of Bandung were totally congested.

As well as giving speeches, the students also erected banners reading “The Elite Don’t Think About the People”, “Revolution or Death” and “Reduce Prices”.

In the speech, BEM stated that they reject foreign intervention in Indonesia, they no longer trusted the elite or the policies of the government and demanded a reduction in prices and an end to the dual function of the military.

At the end of the speech, they laid a wraith of flowers then held a long march to the Bandung city centre. They passed though Jl. Diponegoro, Jl. H. Juanda, Jl. Merdeka and Jl. Aceh then returned to their respective campuses.

Security forces safeguarded the peaceful action and as of filing this story the action was still continuing.

[Translated by James Balowski.]