17 students injured in clash with security officers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 17 student protesters were injured and
\n33 others detained by the police when demonstrators opposed to
\nPresident B.J. Habibie and security personnel clashed near the
\nPresident's residence on Jl. Patra Kuningan XIII in South Jakarta
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The injured students were rushed by their fellow colleagues to
\nthe nearby MMC hospital on Jl. Rasuna Said and Cipto Mangunkusumo
\nGeneral Hospital in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
According to city police spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang,
\nthe 33 students were being questioned by detectives at the city
\npolice headquarters. He refused to give further details.<\/p>\n
The detainees included students from the Economic Institute of
\nBudi Luhur, Jayabaya University, the University of Indonesia,
\nNational University, Muhammad Husni Thamrin University, the ABA-
\nABI foreign languages academy, Institute of Management and
\nComputer Science (STMIK), and the Don Bosco and Gonzaga Catholic
\nHigh Schools.<\/p>\n
The clash occurred in the afternoon when a crowd of some 100
\nstudents grouped in the Collective Forum (Forbes), a loose
\nstudent organization of 11 universities and colleges in Greater
\nJakarta, refused to obey the security officers' order to disperse
\npeacefully.<\/p>\n
Those students that were able to escape unhurt fled to the
\nMinistry of Health and other nearby buildings.<\/p>\n
Several security guards and employees of the nearby Menara
\nKadin Indonesia building also suffered minor injuries when the
\nsecurity officers entered the building complex to disperse the
\ncrowd.<\/p>\n
South Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Satrya Hari Prasetya told
\nreporters at the scene that the police had to disperse the
\nstudents because they had violated Law No. 9\/1998 on freedom of
\nexpression and disrupting public order.<\/p>\n
\"They had not informed us in advance about the rally. Besides,
\nthey are also disrupting the traffic. We had the right to
\ndisperse them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Protester Ebiet of STMIK said they arrived in the area in six
\noverloaded vans and reached Jl. Patra Kuningan Utara where they
\nwere blocked by security officers some 200 meters from Habibie's
\nhouse.<\/p>\n
The protesters rejected Habibie as the country's president and
\ncalled for the immediate establishment of a transitional
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"We'll reject the general election, because it will have been
\norganized by members of the New Order regime. If possible, the
\ntransitional power structure will be set up before the election,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Ebiet said that the student's visit to Habibie's residence was
\nonly to symbolize their struggle.<\/p>\n
\"We think Habibie is the one responsible for everything
\nhappening in this country. He is Soeharto's closest crony and
\nhe's the one in charge now,\" Rinto Steven, another Forbes member,
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In the evening, 1,500 members of the City Forum (Forkot)
\nattempted to join the Forbes group in Kuningan. But they were
\nabruptly blockaded at the Kuningan crossroad.<\/p>\n
At a rally near the Santa Ursula high school in Central
\nJakarta, a plainclothes police sergeant was beaten by angry
\nstudents after he had been caught posing as a photo journalist.<\/p>\n
\"He was taken by forced into the car by the students,\" Central
\nJakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said.<\/p>\n
As of last night, the officer, identified as Chief Sgt.
\nSupratman was still in the students' custody at the University of
\nIndonesia Salemba campus.<\/p>\n
\"We are not trying to kidnap him. We're trying to save him,\"
\nstudent Robert of the university said. (ivy\/emf\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/17-students-injured-in-clash-with-security-officers-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}