Over 90 injured in student-military clash<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 80 protesting students and 14 security
\npersonnel were injured during a serious clash between police and
\nsoldiers at a joint rally of some 4,000 students near the House
\nof Representatives building on Thursday.<\/p>\n
As of late last night two students, including a female, had
\nsuffered gunshot wounds in their back. The two, identified as
\nIndria of Tarakanita College and Iyan Suliva of Pancasila
\nUniversity, were treated at the St. Carolus hospital in Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Most of the students suffered bruises and broken arms or legs
\nand decided to leave the nearby hospitals, such as Mintohardjo
\nNavy hospital and the Jakarta hospital, and a clinic at the Atma
\nJaya University, after receiving first aid.<\/p>\n
The unrest which started at about 5 p.m. turned brutal as the
\nstudents armed with rocks, sticks, iron bars, bamboo spears and
\nmolotov cocktails reacted harshly to the police and troops' order
\nto disperse.<\/p>\n
The police and soldiers, about 500 in number, then fired tear
\ngas canisters and rubber bullets at the students while other
\nofficers chased and beat the protesters with batons.<\/p>\n
It was the worst unrest between the security authorities and
\nstudents in the capital since the Semanggi Black Friday clash of
\nNov. 13 where at least 10 people died.<\/p>\n
The Thursday protesters, attempting to force their way to the
\nHouse, consisted of students from various organizations, such as
\nthe Committee of Students and People for Democracy (Komrad), City
\nForum (Forkot), Communication Forum of Jakarta Student Senate
\n(FKSMJ), Collective Forum (Forbes), Pancasila University Student
\nMovement for Reform (Gempur) and Student Action Front for Reform
\nand Democracy (Famred).<\/p>\n
The students demanded the release of their colleagues who were
\narrested in a protest on the previous day and urged President
\nB.J. Habibie and Armed Forces Chief Gen. Wiranto to take the
\nresponsibility for the deaths of other students in clashes with
\nthe military last month.<\/p>\n
The groups came from different directions before making a huge
\ncrowd on the street a few meters away from the House.<\/p>\n
Throughout their rally the students yelled \"Revolution until
\nwe die!\"<\/p>\n
After their arrival on the scene at about 2 p.m., they opened
\na free speech forum in front of the security cordon under the
\nSenayan flyover.<\/p>\n
At about 4:05 p.m., they began to push the security cordon and
\nrepeated their move three times before they managed to break
\nthrough and run toward the House.<\/p>\n
Some of the student groups started pelting stones at the
\npolice officers and attacked them with bamboo spears to force
\ntheir way through.<\/p>\n
A student was seen exposing his body as if preparing himself
\nto be shot at by the soldiers. \"Here..here,\" he shouted.<\/p>\n
Another student, who tried to persuade his fellows to retreat,
\nrecalled: \"We can hardly control them anymore.\"<\/p>\n
The crack of shooting and thin mist were heard and seen every
\ntime the tear gas was fired in reply to volleys of stones,
\nmolotov cocktails and other things thrown at the security cordon.<\/p>\n
The students also set ablaze police and military tents and
\ntook away police jackets and their riot equipment, such as
\nhelmets and shields.<\/p>\n
After performing the evening prayer at 6 p.m., the students
\ncalmed down and started to retreat.<\/p>\n
Some of them later burned cardboard boxes and traffic signs on
\nJl. Gatot Subroto.<\/p>\n
The students later dispersed into the night, many going back
\nto Atma Jaya University.<\/p>\n
At about 8 p.m. last night, an overloaded bus taking student
\nprotesters home was shot at by soldiers near the Cawang flyover
\nin East Jakarta, some of the students said.<\/p>\n
The shots punctured the vehicle's tires and brought it to a
\nhalt. Uniformed troops then rushed onto the bus and beat the
\nstudents, leaving at least 21 wounded.<\/p>\n
\"At least one passenger was shot and is now being treated
\nhere,\" said a nurse at the nearby UKI hospital in Cawang.
\n(ivy\/emf\/edt\/bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/over-90-injured-in-student-military-clash-1447893297",
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