Indonesia was calm yesterday as students resumed small-scale street protests for political reform after a week of anti-government unrest.
The government appeared to be taking a carrot-and-stick approach to the crisis, which burst into rioting on Saturday. At least 14 people were killed, most of them when troops fired into student protesters, and 450 were wounded in the violence.
Police questioned 10 opposition politicians under laws governing treason in connection with the unrest. The 10 were later released but barred from leaving the country.
President B.J. Habibie indicated yesterday that he was willing to hold presidential elections earlier than scheduled - one of the demands of the students. President Habibie also pledged to hold a thorough investigation into the latest violence and to punish severely anyone found guilty of wrongdoing, including police officers and the military.
"We promise to do a fair, transparent and thorough investigation based on the law and we also promise to take firm action against those who have violated the law, including the security forces," he said in a televised address to the nation.
Students gathered in small, peaceful protests at various points around Jakarta, including parliament and Tri Sakti University, where the killing of four students by troops in May provoked riots that helped to topple President Suharto after 32 years in power.
About 1,000 students at Tri Sakti chanted slogans against Gen Suharto and the armed forces chief, Gen Wiranto, and then dispersed. Student protests were also held in the provincial cities of Medan and Bandung, but there was no violence.
Jakarta was calm and there appeared to be no response to a call by some student groups for a nationwide general strike to protest against Gen Suharto's handpicked successor, President Habibie.
The country's financial markets bore up to the weekend unrest remarkably well. The rupiah was stable at around 7,800/7,900 to the dollar, about the same as on Friday, while the Jakarta stock market index closed 0.19 per cent stronger at 356.23 points.
But volumes were thin and many said investors were worried by the political uncertainty. Analysts warned that the unrest may threaten recent economic gains made in the wake of an International Monetary Fund rescue.
A police spokesman, Brig Togar Sianipar, told reporters that 10 opposition politicians, including Ms Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, a daughter of the late founding President Sukarno, and two retired generals and several other vocal critics of the government, were questioned in connection with the unrest. He denied reports they had been arrested, but said they had been barred from leaving the country. All 10 were signatories to a statement last week calling on Mr Habibie to resign.
He claimed the authorities had discovered "there have been violations of the law covering conspiracy to acts of treason and to topple a legitimate government".
On Saturday, the police authorities said they had evidence that "certain groups" wanted to foment chaos similar to the May violence that left about 1,200 people dead during rioting, looting and arson in the capital.
The Portuguese Foreign Minister, Mr Jaime Gama, has asked the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, to raise the question of East Timor with the Indonesian authorities when she visits Jakarta this week. A foreign ministry spokesman said Mr Gama had written to Ms Albright complaining that Indonesia had increased its military presence in East Timor in violation of undertakings given by its Foreign Minister, Mr Ali Alatas.