Police say clashes were provoked<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Agents provocateurs incited students and the
\nmasses to attack security forces before the bloody clash in
\nJakarta last Friday, National Police chief. Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi
\nannounced on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
In a nationwide televised address, Roesmanhadi presented the
\npolice version of the Black Friday incident, in which armed
\ntroops clashed with anti-government protesters near the Semanggi
\ncloverleaf junction.<\/p>\n
He said students were negotiating an end to Friday's protest
\nwith security personnel deployed to safeguard the Special Session
\nof the People's Consultative Assembly when the agitators appeared
\non the scene. They began throwing stones, Molotov cocktails and
\ndirt at the lines of security personnel and urged others to join
\nin.<\/p>\n
This led directly to the clashes between security personnel
\nand the protesters, he said.<\/p>\n
Roesmanhadi said clashes on Thursday and Friday last week left
\n13 people dead, 89 hospitalized and 427 requiring medical
\ntreatment. Those killed included four students and one member of
\nthe security forces, he added.<\/p>\n
Independent estimates put the death toll from the two days of
\nviolence at 15 people, including seven university students and
\none high school student.<\/p>\n
The police chief laid the blame for the riots on a group of
\nopposition politicians who last week openly called for an
\nalternative government. This, he said, had incited the students
\nand mobilized the masses.<\/p>\n
He said the group met in the Sahid Jaya Hotel on Thursday to
\nissue their declaration, which then received nationwide
\npublicity.<\/p>\n
\"They had the motive and they made the initial move,\"
\nRoesmanhadi said, adding that the police will continue to
\ninvestigate the matter and are currently gathering more evidence
\nand testimony.<\/p>\n
He said the group members would be charged with treason under
\nArticle 10 of the Criminal Code if enough evidence is uncovered,
\nalthough he did not say how many people have been listed as
\nsuspects in the case. (emb)<\/p>",
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