Activists condemn harsh measures against students<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Human rights activists have condemned the
\ngovernment's harsh measures against widespread student
\ndemonstrations, which have increasingly resulted in bloody
\nclashes.<\/p>\n
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
\n(Kontras) told a media conference here yesterday that the
\nsecurity apparatus' repressive measures reflected an attitude
\nthat would not lead to an improvement of the situation.<\/p>\n
\"Repressive measures are useless and will only worsen the
\nsituation,\" the commission's executive, Munir, said reading a
\ntwo-page statement.<\/p>\n
The statement said the harsh measures would also tarnish the
\nArmed Forces' (ABRI) image before the watchful eye of the
\ninternational community.<\/p>\n
Kontras urged ABRI to refrain from resorting to violent
\nmeasures in dealing with the student protests.<\/p>\n
\"The Armed Forces should change their attitude toward the
\nstudent protests,\" said Mulyana W. Kusumah, a member of Kontras'
\nadvisory council.<\/p>\n
Kontras claimed yesterday that hundreds of students had been
\ninjured from protests which have been occurring throughout the
\ncountry on an almost daily basis since February.<\/p>\n
Kontras said that during an investigation in Ujungpandang in
\nSouth Sulawesi, Malang in East Java and Surakarta in Central
\nJava, it found that security forces sometimes used live bullets.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI)
\nsaid in a statement Wednesday that the security forces' harsh
\nmeasures against the student rallies had violated human rights.<\/p>\n
\"Coercive measures are shortcut ways to obstruct the freedom
\nof expression,\" the two-page statement signed by PBHI's executive
\ndirector, Hendardi, said.<\/p>\n
Earlier yesterday, students from Jayabaya University came to
\nthe Jakarta Legal Aid Institute office to confirm reports of the
\nshooting of three students during a clash Thursday with security
\nforces in front of their campus in Cimanggis, West Java.<\/p>\n
Student representative Nurohmat said the three were shot by
\nrubber bullets and rushed to nearby Tugu Ibu Hospital.<\/p>\n
The students, accompanied by assistant dean Ahmad Dahlan,
\nbrought dozens of rubber bullet shells, a bloodied shirt and
\nscraps of tear gas canisters.<\/p>\n
\"We will file a complaint to Armed Forces Chief Gen. Wiranto
\nand the National Military Police,\" Nurohmat said.<\/p>\n
At least 18 other students were also injured during the clash,
\nJakarta Legal Aid Institute spokesman Hotma Tibul Hutapea said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Benny Rhamdani from Sam Ratulangi University in
\nManado was in critical condition yesterday as he entered the
\nfifth day of his hunger strike at the local office of the
\nIndonesian Legal Aid Institute.<\/p>\n
He, however, refused to be taken to the hospital for
\ntreatment, Munir said.<\/p>\n
Benny and Wahab Talaohu of Jakarta University began hunger
\nstrikes Monday to protest the decision by the administration of
\nSam Ratulangi University to ban student demonstrations on campus.
\n(byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/activists-condemn-harsh-measures-against-students-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}