Some 12,000 Indonesian police and soldiers deployed during last week's session of the national assembly are being withdrawn from the streets, Jakarta's police chief said yesterday.
"Since Saturday we have withdrawn troops from Jakarta. They will be returned to their respective units," Maj Gen Nugroho Jayusman said after a ceremony marking the withdrawal at a sport stadium in Jakarta.
The armed forces chief and Defence Minister, Gen Wiranto, who also addressed the troops, called them "heroes" but said students and NGO activists who had guided the reform so far were also heroes.
Gen Wiranto, who is likely to be replaced by an admiral, extended his condolences to the victims of the clashes in the run-up to and during the 21-day convention of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) which ended on Thursday with the election of Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri as vice president. "To the victims, those who lost their lives or those who lost their possessions, we seek forgiveness and express our condolences to the security personnel, the students and the people who fell victim," Gen Wiranto said.
At least 11 people, including three students and one soldier, have been killed in clashes between protesters and security personnel in the capital and in Bandarlampung in southern Sumatra since late in September.
The MPR elected the frail and near-blind Muslim leader, Mr Abdurrahman Wahid, as Indonesia's fourth president.
President Wahid plans to meet the East Timor independence leader, Mr Xanana Gusmao, possibly during a visit to Brunei, a senior minister said.
Meanwhile a well-known team of Indonesian comedians, Bagito, had their Saturday night television show stopped in mid-broadcast when supporters of the new president decided their parodies of him, which mimicked his physical condition, had gone too far.
Newspapers said Indosiar TV managers abruptly cut off the weekly show, which routinely lampoons national leaders, after Islamist supporters of the president complained.
The Jakarta Post said the trio of comedians later appeared on the private station to apologise to the president and members of his Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic organisation. The Indosiar manager, Mr Jilal Mardhani, also apologised on the air for "impropriety".