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National scene: Students rally to mark fall of Soeharto

Dozens of members of the Islamic Students Association (HMI) took to the streets on Wednesday to commemorate the resignation of then president Soeharto on May 20, 1998

The Jakarta Post

Jakarta

Thu, May 21, 2015 Published on May. 21, 2015 Published on 2015-05-21T06:36:31+07:00

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ozens of members of the Islamic Students Association (HMI) took to the streets on Wednesday to commemorate the resignation of then president Soeharto on May 20, 1998.

'Members of the HMI rallied from the studio of RRI [state-run radio station] to the State Palace,' chairman of the HMI Arief Rosyid Hasan said on Wednesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

A larger number of students had been expected to turn up and join the rally on Wednesday, in what was seen as a movement against President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.

On Monday, Jokowi held a meeting at the State Palace with leaders of student organizations.

After the meeting, student leaders said that they would only hold a rally to commemorate the start of the Reform Movement.

Hasan later said the HMI staged the rally to channel the people's aspirations and urge President Jokowi to uphold the country's political system.

'The HMI urged President Joko Widodo to maintain political stability,' he said.

The association also called on the president to improve economic stability, and control fuel prices and electricity rates.