100 teenagers seek to `borrow' arson suspects<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): About 100 unidentified teenagers surrounded
\npolice stations in the wee hours yesterday, asking to "borrow"
\ndetainees suspected of having burnt the command post of the
\nNational University's student regiment in South Jakarta on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
Informed police sources said that they were driving at least
\n25 cars and some of them were in military-look clothes.<\/p>\n
It is strongly believed that the group wanted to take revenge
\nby teaching lesson using their own ways to the suspects, who are
\nall students of the university.<\/p>\n
According to the sources, who refused to be identified, they
\nfirst came to the Pasar Minggu police station before moving to
\nthe South Jakarta police precinct office at around 2 a.m.<\/p>\n
However, none of them were able to get into the office
\nbuilding as on-duty police officers had closed the gates and
\nordered the unidentified group to disperse.<\/p>\n
"They surrounded the two buildings with their cars roaring and
\nasked to get in to see and borrow the suspects," the sources
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In Pasar Minggu, the teenagers were dispersed by head of the
\npolice station Maj. Suro Jauhari, who was apparently still in his
\noffice when the incident happened.<\/p>\n
From the top of his three-story office, Suro asked them to
\nimmediately leave the yard before the police decided to take any
\naction against them.<\/p>\n
Failing to meet their need, the group then went to the South
\nJakarta Police Office on Jl. Darmawangsa I, asking for the same
\nrequest.<\/p>\n
No fatality and damage were reported.<\/p>\n
The command post of the university in Pejaten area was set on
\nfire Tuesday during a street brawl involving students and
\nregiment members. The fire completely razed the station, which
\nwas utilized by members of the student regiment for campus
\nsecurity purposes.<\/p>\n
The fight, which took place amid a celebration of the
\nuniversity's 45th anniversary, was triggered by Friday's incident
\nin which several regiment members assaulted a student following a
\ntrivial traffic incident.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said dozens of angry students, equipped with spiked
\nclubs and baseball bats, initially attacked two members of the
\nregiment by ransacking their command post and setting it on fire.<\/p>\n
Victims<\/p>\n
As of yesterday, at least 15 students had confessed of their
\nrole in the attack and the burning of the post, while five
\nregiment members are still being treated at nearby hospitals,
\nsaid head of the South Jakarta police precinct Lt. Col. Silvanus
\nJulian Wenas.<\/p>\n
"Most of them come to the police station on their own
\ninitiative," Wenas said.<\/p>\n
He, however, refused to comment on the unexpected visit of the
\nunidentified teenagers.<\/p>\n
He urged all parties involved in the mishap to remain calm
\nbecause the police are striving to solve the case immediately and
\nbring those allegedly involved to the court for the trial.<\/p>\n
Based on preliminary investigation, the two parties involved
\nin the dispute are divided into two groups: one consists of the
\nuniversity's Association of Nature Lovers (Himpala) and the other
\nthe regiment members.<\/p>\n
It is strongly believed that the dispute between the two
\ngroups is mainly caused by differences over their candidates for
\nthe rector election.<\/p>\n
"We're on our way to investigate detailed backgrounds which
\nsparked the clash," Wenas said.<\/p>\n
On a related development yesterday, City Military Commander
\nMaj. Gen. A.M. Hendropriyono yesterday blasted media reports over
\nthe incident, saying that the media had tried to pit one student
\nagainst another.<\/p>\n
"After all they are fellow students, aren't they?" he said.<\/p>\n
Hendropriyono, therefore, called on the media not to harshly
\nblame members of the regiment, stressing the role of the media to
\ncool down the tense situation in the university.<\/p>\n
Instead of some officers in plain clothes, not even a single
\nanti-riot officers was seen at the university's campus yesterday.
\n(bsr\/yns)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/100-teenagers-seek-to-borrow-arson-suspects-1447893297",
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