TNI officers' children attack Medan students<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan and Nana Rukmana, Medan\/Cirebon<\/p>\n
At least eight students were injured after being attacked by
\nchildren of military and police personnel in Medan, North
\nSumatra, witnesses and police confirmed on Friday.<\/p>\n
The assault was launched on Thursday night after the victims
\nalong with their colleagues staged a rally to oppose voting for
\npresidential candidates from military backgrounds.<\/p>\n
The attackers from the Communication Forum for Children of
\nRetired Military\/Police Officers (FKPPI) also destroyed a
\nmakeshift post the students set up at the Heroes Cemetery Park on
\nJl. Sisingamangaraja, Medan, two days ago.<\/p>\n
Eye witnesses said the violence started at around 10 p.m.,
\nwhen FKPPI members arrived at the student post in cars and on
\nmotorcycles.<\/p>\n
The attackers had asked the students to disperse and to
\ndismantle their post, arguing that it was unethical for them to
\nbe present at the cemetery for an antimilitary protest.<\/p>\n
The request was then rejected by the students, sparking a
\nverbal and physical clash.<\/p>\n
\"At the time, we were only eight students at the post and we
\ncould not do anything. So we fled after they (the attackers) beat
\nus and destroyed our post,\" recalled Okto Fitria, a victim.<\/p>\n
Other victims injured in the incident were Suri Parwita, Izal
\nKentong, Anwar Basri, Rizal Rozi, Mukhlis, and Ardansyah -- from
\nthe Medan Institute of Technology, and Julia Taufik from the
\nNorth Sumatra Islamic University.<\/p>\n
Okto said the victims later reported the incident to Medan
\nTeladan Police at around 12 p.m.<\/p>\n
Medan Teladan Police chief of detectives First Insp. Ernesto
\nSeser confirmed the reported attack, saying the victims demanded
\nthe arrest of the perpetrators.<\/p>\n
The student victims were questioned on Friday by police
\ninvestigators to take their statements about the incident,
\nErnesto said. But it was not clear why none of the attackers were
\nimmediately arrested.<\/p>\n
\"The case file drafted from the investigation will be handed
\nover to Medan Police for further action,\" Ernesto told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Responding to the attack, North Sumatra's FKPPI chairman
\nArdjoni Munir said he knew nothing about the incident, but
\nstressed that he supported the police's move to look into the
\ncase.<\/p>\n
He lamented the students protest against presidential
\ncandidates from military backgrounds, and that it was held at a
\nsacred place like the cemetery.<\/p>\n
The students should have been able to embrace ethics when
\nexpressing their opinion during Thursday's protest, he argued.<\/p>\n
\"The students are prospective intellectuals. They should have
\navoided demonstrating at the Heroes Cemetery Park. Is that
\nethical? My father was buried there. So I'm offended,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ardjoni, however, regretted what his members did to the
\nprotesters.<\/p>\n
Street rallies have hit towns and cities across the country to
\noppose the nomination of presidential\/vice presidential
\ncandidates with military background -- Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
\nWiranto and Agum Gumelar are all retired army generals.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, speaking in Cirebon, West Java, on Friday, Agum
\nsaid antimilitary demonstrations should be respected in a
\ndemocratic society.<\/p>\n
\"We are a democratic state. Democracy means accepting and
\nrespecting differences of opinion. That some are opposed to
\nmilitary candidates should be respected,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Agum, who was nominated as the running mate of presidential
\ncandidate Hamzah Haz, said such protests should not be considered
\na negative campaign aimed at dampening the chances of
\npresidential hopefuls contesting the July 5 election.<\/p>\n
Agum denied the notion that the nominations of the three
\nretired generals for the presidency showed that civilian
\nleadership had failed.<\/p>\n
Nor were their bids for the top post a special phenomenon in
\npolitics, he said.<\/p>",
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