Twelve officers to be court-martialled over riots<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The 12 officers accused of \"responding
\nexcessively\" to student demonstrations last month in the South
\nSulawesi capital of Ujungpandang will be tried by the end of this
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
Chief Spokesman of the Wirabuana Regional Military Command Lt.
\nCol. Mochtar Darise told The Jakarta Post by telephone yesterday
\nthat military prosecutors are preparing the dossiers on the
\nsoldiers.<\/p>\n
Three of the 12 soldiers are high-ranking officers in the
\nlocal military command, Mochtar said. He declined to reveal the
\nsoldiers' names or exact military ranks.<\/p>\n
Chief of the Wirabuana Military Command Maj. Gen. Sulatin said
\non Saturday that the 12 soldiers would be court-martialled for
\ntheir role in the military's handling of the student
\ndemonstrations that led to the deaths of three students.<\/p>\n
The soldiers will be charged with what he called an \"excessive
\nresponse\" to a flurry of violent demonstrations that involved an
\nestimated 10,000 students from various universities in
\nUjungpandang, Sulatin said.<\/p>\n
Students from state and private-owned universities and
\ncolleges in Ujungpandang took to the streets in a wave of
\ndemonstrations which began on April 22 to protest the public bus
\nfare increase from Rp 300 (13 U.S. cents) to Rp 500.<\/p>\n
The students reportedly went on the rampage during the
\ndemonstrations, setting up roadblocks, vandalizing buses and
\nother public property, and hurling stones at riot police.<\/p>\n
The protests soon turned into clashes when security officers
\nentered college campuses, chasing students with rattan sticks and
\nmaking arrests.<\/p>\n
The regional military command and the investigation team,
\nwhich was established on April 27, have admitted that some of
\ntheir members \"erred\" and resorted to violence.<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights announced in a press
\nbriefing on Wednesday that it had found \"violations of rights
\nwhich led to the death of three students, scores of injuries, and
\nmuch vandalism\".<\/p>\n
The three students reportedly died because they plunged into
\nthe Pampang River while trying to escape from security officers
\nwho had entered their campus during the protests.<\/p>\n
Reports on the number of fatalities vary, however, with
\norganizations such as the Ujungpandang office of the Indonesian
\nLegal Aid organization, which also established its own fact-
\nfinding team, saying that six people actually died.<\/p>\n
The South Sulawesi provincial administration responded soon
\nafter the massive rioting by declaring that it was canceling the
\nUjungpandang mayor's fare increase decree. (imn)<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/twelve-officers-to-be-court-martialled-over-riots-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }