Students mourn death of their colleague<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Sadness was the prevailing mood on Saturday as
\nstudents gathered for peaceful ceremonies to mourn those who were
\nkilled during violent protests over the previous two days.<\/p>\n
Students held a mass ceremony in the morning to pay their last
\nrespects to Yap Yun Hap, a student at University of Indonesia's
\nDepartment of Electrical Engineering who was killed on Friday in
\nthe protests against the state security bill, which was approved
\nby the House of Representatives on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The ceremony was held in the university's auditorium on Jl.
\nSalemba Raya in Central Jakarta, after which Yun Hap's body was
\ntaken to his family's house in West Jakarta. He will be buried on
\nSunday at 8 a.m. in Pondok Rangon cemetery in the Cibubur
\nsubdistrict of East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Matori Abdul Djalil,
\nUI rector Asman Budi Santoso, political observer Soedjati
\nDjiwandono and economist Sjahrir were among those in attendance
\nat the ceremony.<\/p>\n
A bouquet from Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\nchairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri was among dozens of bouquets
\nsent by universities and organizations.<\/p>\n
In the afternoon, student activists from the Family of
\nTrisakti University Students, Forum Kota (Forkot), Jakarta's
\nState Institute of Islamic Studies, the Collective Forum and the
\nStudent Family of Guna Dharma University staged a protest in
\nfront of Atma Jaya University on Jl. Sudirman.<\/p>\n
They spread flowers on the street and distributed pamphlets
\ncalling for the rejection of the state security bill to onlookers
\nand motorists. The students then attempted to march to the House,
\nwhich is located some 600 meters from the university, at around
\n4:00 p.m.<\/p>\n
However, they were blocked by hundreds of personnel from the
\nJoint Military-Police Crack Riot Troops at the Senayan flyover.
\nUnable to approach the House, they peacefully returned to Atma
\nJaya University at 5:40 p.m.<\/p>\n
However, not all was peaceful on Saturday, evidenced by an
\nattack on the home of businessman Arifin Panigoro on Jl. Jenggala
\nI in South Jakarta at 5:27 a.m.<\/p>\n
Four men on two motorcycles threw two Molotov cocktails at the
\nhouse. One of the bombs landed on the roof and started a fire
\nwhich burned for about five minutes, while the second bomb fell
\nto the ground and failed to explode, Arifin's spokesman Muntazar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Arifin was in Depok at the time of the attack and no one was
\nhurt in the incident.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said while
\nquoting Arifin on Saturday that the businessman felt the attack
\nwas connected to the recent student demonstrations.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, city police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman
\nsaid on Saturday the bullet which killed Yun Hap was fired from a
\ncar which had been following police officers.<\/p>\n
\"The shot came from an unidentified car following my
\nofficers ... what kind of car and who was in it are still being
\ninvestigated,\" Noegroho said at city police headquarters during a
\njoint media conference.<\/p>\n
Noegroho said an investigative team led by city police deputy
\nchief Brig. Gen. Sutanto was established on Saturday morning to
\ninvestigate the shooting.<\/p>\n
\"Again, I stress it was not a live bullet that killed Yun Hap,
\nbut a rubber bullet,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Noegroho's statement, however, was contradicted by doctors at
\nCipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital who examined Yun Hap's body.<\/p>\n
\"It's a live bullet from a .22 caliber firearm which was fired
\nfrom a distance,\" they said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
The doctors also hinted the bullet was of the same type that
\nkilled four Trisakti University students during the mid-May riots
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
According to the city police, eight people died during the two
\ndays of demonstrations, including Yun Hap. Another 112 people,
\nincluding 30 police officers, were injured.<\/p>\n
Noegroho said city police identified 14 provocateurs during
\nthe protests, including artist Ratna Sarumpaet and Democratic
\nPeople's Party (PRD) official Feisol Reza.<\/p>\n
\"For example, we know someone handed over up to Rp 200 million
\nto Forkot members on Aug. 27 to gather a crowd of up to 5,000 for
\nthe demonstrations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Zainuri named four provocateurs -- former minister of
\nmines and energy Soebroto, Cahyono, Andi Shiarani and Trias.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso said total losses were estimated at Rp 2
\nbillion (US$222,222).<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono
\nhinted on Saturday that unnamed persons attempted to recruit
\nuniversity students for the protests on Thursday and Friday.<\/p>\n
\"Some UI students from the university's Depok campus told me
\nthat some people provided trucks and influenced UI students to
\njoin the protest on Friday.\" he told reporters after seeing
\nPresident B.J. Habibie as State Merdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
The minister said these unnamed persons recruited students
\nfrom Atma Jaya University, Indonesian Christian University, Prof.
\nMoestopo University, Trisakti University and UI to stage the
\nprotests.<\/p>\n
Protests over the House's approval of the state security bill
\nwere also seen in North Sumatra, and several cities in Java.<\/p>\n
In Medan, North Sumatra, students took to the streets, burning
\ntires and hurling rocks at security forces in fresh antimilitary
\nprotests, Reuters reported on Saturday.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, Central Java, hundreds of student protesters from
\n25 non-government organizations staged a demonstration on
\nSaturday demanding the government revoke the bill.<\/p>\n
Similar demonstrations were held by 200 university students in
\nthe Central Java towns of Surakarta and Purwokerto.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, hundreds of university students staged a rally
\nalong the streets of the East Java capital of Surabaya on their
\ncars and motorcycles, asking people to express their condolences
\nfor the victims of the protests. (04\/45\/har\/nur\/asa\/ylt)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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