Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1998)
# A Thursday • Marc v-j ^ ^|f The Battalion World Students protest crisis in Indonesia JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) —Thousands of banner-waving university students de manded President Suharto’s ouster Wednesday — the largest display of anger yet over the economic crisis that has In donesia in an upheaval. The protests came as the United States and other foreign lenders stepped up the pressure on Suharto to carry out reforms they consider crucial to rescuing the econ omy — reforms that could undercut much of Suharto’s power and wealth. “HangSuharto!” shouted protesters in the Java island city of Yogyakarta, circling their campus on scooters under the scrutiny of hundreds of police and plainclothes officers. Students also rallied in several other cities on Java as well as on Sulawesi, anoth er of Indonesia’s larger islands. Five people have been killed in riots this year over rising food costs, but Wednesday’s rallies were peaceful. Confined to campuses, they posed little threat to Suharto, who has resisted calls to overhaul the government he began shap ing in the 1960s. Even as the students protested, dele gates to a special assembly were preparing to extend Suharto’s 32-year rule. Already Asia’s longest-serving leader, the 76-year- old president is almost certain to get a sev enth five-year term next week. However, Suharto is under growing in ternational pressure to carry out economic reforms in exchange for $43 billion bailout by the International Monetary Fund. “Suharto is the mastermind of the crisis.” Pedro Viera Indonesian student The IMF has already handed over $3 bil lion, but still has not decided whether to grant the second $3 billion installment, due March 15. The United States, which exerts virtual veto power over the IMF, says Suharto is not moving fast enough on reforms that would remove business perks he, his family and their associates have long enjoyed. Indonesia says many of the measures, including the slashing of subsidies, are too strict and could provoke more social unrest. But with the deadline nearing, Suhar to said Wednesday that he had disman tled a string of monopolies in line with the IMF requirements. In a meeting of top economic advisers, he said the government has stripped the state agency Bulog of all trade controls ex cept for a rice monopoly. Presidential spokesperson Murdiono, who attended the meeting, quoted Suhar to’s remarks on reform. Indonesia’s worst economic turmoil in three decades began when the currency, the rupiah, plunged in value last year, push ing up prices and unemployment in the na tion of 202 million. Protesters said Suharto is to blame. “Suharto is the mastermind of the cri sis,” said Pedro Viera, a student at the pres tigious Gadjah Mada University in Yo gyakarta, 310 miles east of Jakarta. The Yogyakarta students also appealed for the government to take action against ethnic violence. Floods in Pakistan leave homeless, 1,200 feared Pakistani shot after forbidden love affair sparks riots KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — The man whose marriage to the woman he loved landed them both in jail and sparked riots by their rival ethnic groups was shot and critically injured Wednesday when he arrived at court to face charges of having extramarital sex. Police arrested the bride’s fa ther, brother and the man her family wanted her to wed for the shooting of Kanwar Ahson. Doctors said Ahson was fight ing for his life Wednesday night with gunshot wounds in the chest, abdomen and leg. Ahson, a member of the Mo- hajir community in his 20s, and Riffat Afridi, an 18-year-old Pathan, eloped last month against her family’s wishes. The marriage sparked riots in Karachi that killed two people, and a council of Pathan elders sentenced Afridi to death, saying she had dishonored her family. As night settled on Karachi, police stepped up patrols and security forces stood guard in armored personnel carriers, hoping to ward off possible ethnic violence. Ethnic Pathans, who are from Pakistan’s conservative North west Frontier province, have of ten clashed with Mohajirs, Mus lims who migrated from India after the subcontinent was par titioned by the British in 1947. TURBAT, Pakistan (AP) — Raging Hood waters have submerged a remote corner of southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 100 people and washing away huts, hospitals and a school where dozens of students had been trapped. Some 1,200 people were missing and feared dead Wednesday. The one-room religious school was submerged by high water Tuesday, drown ing 35 of 39 pupils there, said Ghulam Mo hammed Afridi, a local official in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province. In the same hard-hit village of Marri- abad, a man watched as the Hood swept away two dozen members of his family. He survived by clinging to a tree. Rains that began Sunday turned the usually dry Dasht River into a torrent that roared over hundreds of homes, most of them made of sun-baked mud and straw, said Noor Ahmed Shah, an official in Baluchistan province. Residents of Ttirbat, a city of several thousand, said the rains had Hooded dozens of homes, shops and at least two hospitals. Medical equipment was dam aged and patients had to be moved to higher ground. In Marriabad, a village of6,000, there was barely a home still standing, said Nasir Mo hammed, who lost 24 members of his family. Family members had stacked beds on top of each other to escape as the water rose Monday and Tuesday. Then, a gush of water swept them all away, he said. “I clung to a tree and I held on,” he said. "I watched as everything just washed away. A AFGHANISTAN j (, ' Isla- • Quetta BALUCHISTAN PAKISTAN Turbat Flash floods Arabian Sea It was there and then it waste thing. Everyone." ht I he only other membero:.a survive was his father. Relentless rain and poor- pered relief and rescue effor i 70 miles west of the portcirl ■ Afridi estimated that 50( had been left homeless, andt bmely enough aid for a fe>| I he'. h,i\ r (injpped off200te: "Who am I supposed togive:| The Pakistan governmeni: vately t un Hdhi emergency'll I”! helicopters with supplies in; soaked areas. ca| AilwiI / al Mick said, "They made my lips explode!" Stevie said, "They're a Wonder!", Bobby McFerrin said, "Don't worry, be happy, at Accl 230 Test Review Mon Mar 9 6pm-9pm Teat Review Mon M»r 9 Opm-Ham Bana303 Buffa Part I Sun Mar 8 5}>m-7pm Part H Mon Mar 9 5pm-7pm . Part HI Tue Mar 10 5pm-7pm Tart IV Wed Mar IT 5pm-7pm Biol 113 Part t Sun Mar 8 or 8pm>11pm Part II Mon Mar 9 Spm-Hpm or 8pm~l!pm Part III Tuc Mar 10 5pm~7pm or 8pm-t0pm Fine 341 Part 1 Sun Mar 8 7pm-10pm Part II Mon Mar 9 7pm-!0pm Fart HI Tue Mar to 7pni-9pm ' Econ 203 Parti Toe Mar 10 6pxn~9pm Part II Wed Mar II 6pnv9pm Tickets gt Sunday at on sale jj 12:00 p.m. 1 ;kets go on 1 jrsday 1 p.m. Econ 311 Parti Sun Mar 8 j4pm-7pm Part II Mon Mar 9 6pm-9pm 1 sale Th at 6:00 Math 141 Part 1 Sun Mar 8 7pm'9 pm Part II Mon Mar 9 7pm-9pm Part III Tue Mar 10 7pm-9pm Part IV Wed Mar 11 7pm-9pm Math 151 Part 1 Sun Mar 8 9pm-H pm Part II Mon Mar 9 9pm-!!pm Part III Ttie Mar 10 9 pm-11 pm Part IV Wed Mar tl 9pm-tlpm Math 152 Part I Sun Mar 8 Upm-lam Part II Mon Mar 9 Upm-lam Part III Ttoe Mar 10 Upm-lam Part tV Wed Mar 11 Hpm.lam Mgmt 211 Part! Sun Mar 8 tpm-3pm or 3pm-5pm Part IT Sun Mar 8 5pm~7pm or 7pm-9 pm Question; Which animal is known as "the noble beast of the forest"? (First 5 to call with answer get free review!) Answer appears Thursday Last week's answer: The $1 uu bill is the largest now minted. 696-TUTOR (8886) 4.0 & GO HQ - GMing*. BluaJi ■SUL KaJiktua-u - T'h lA'Jn TAMU Look for our ads in the Batt on Mondays ScThursdays JOIN HIP! Interested in recruiting students for AM; Come to our informational meeting wmi to 1 Monday, March 9"‘ in Rudder 302 at 7:Oil'll to find out what being a HIP Leader is all ah Applications available in ACAD 101 or check out our wfpsyc i af frnol logy | http://honors.tamu.edu/hip.htm MARINE OFFICER Officer SELECii tatio 113 BOYETT ST inte l The Platoon Leaders Class PLC! Marines THE CHANGE IS FOREVER College Station, Tx essi et The Platoon Leaders Class is a commissioning program that requires no interruption of your academic year, and pays approximately $3,000 for 10 weeks of training or two s six week summer sessions. d Is open to female and male freshman through seniors, Officer Candidates class open to seniors^ruc college grads. g®. GUARANTEED AVIATION for qualified students (both male and female) with 20/30 or better .qq)-, f uncorrected vision. Fly aircraft in the Marine Corps. • Requires no special classes, drills, or uniforms on campus. • Financial Assistance available. • Offers career opportunities in fields such as Public Relations, Finance, Law, Intelligence, Military Police, Computer Science, Air Traffic Control, and Logistics Management. • Specialities are open to ALL academic majors. • Is the primary commissioning source for the Marine Corps. jpliei ene| ng fc nfonl i hai Call 846-9036/0273 for more information FJie Few. 7^33 Ik inte Tell mom most of what you’re up to. 1-800-C0LLECT