Violence mars Islamic student congress<\/p>\n
SURABAYA, East Java (JP): Only one day after it decided to
\npresent a \"democratic fighter\" award to Megawati Soekarnoputri,
\nand a \"scapegoat\" award for an acquitted murder suspect, a
\nstudent organization resorted to violence to settle their dispute
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Participants of the Indonesian Islamic University Students
\nMovement (PMII) congress were involved in a brawl yesterday
\nfollowing dissatisfaction over poor services, including the late
\ndistribution of handouts by the congress committee.<\/p>\n
Some of the participants threw chairs at committee members and
\ntheir supporters, and tried to beat them. Their targets, however,
\nresisted.<\/p>\n
\"The committee members acted like bureaucrats in their
\ntreatment of us while the security guards (also students)
\noveracted,\" said Benny Ramdhani, the Manado branch chairman.<\/p>\n
PMII, affiliated with the 30 million-strong member Moslem
\norganization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), began its 12th congress Monday
\nto elect a new chairman.<\/p>\n
The congress was opened by State Minister of Youth Affairs and
\nSports Hayono Isman.<\/p>\n
It decided Monday to present a PMII award to Megawati, the
\nousted chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) for
\nher tireless struggle to promote democracy.<\/p>\n
It was also decided to present an award to Dwi Sumaji alias
\nIwik, the sole suspect in the highly publicized murder of
\njournalist Fuad Muhammad Syarifuddin who was acquitted by the
\nBantul District Court in Yogyakarta Thursday. The students
\ndescribed Iwik as a scapegoat, and said efforts to frame him were
\nmasterminded by a \"certain irresponsible group\".<\/p>\n
The students were involved in heated debate following a
\ncontroversial proposal from the East Java branch.<\/p>\n
\"We propose to change the name from the Indonesian Islamic
\nUniversity Students Movement to the Indonesian Independent
\nUniversity Students Association,\" branch chairman Imam Nahrowi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Imam argued the change was needed to emphasize its independent
\nstatus, an argument flatly rejected by the majority of
\nparticipants.<\/p>\n
In response to participants' complaints, chairman Muhaimin
\nIskandar said: \"It is merely a technical matter. We are still
\nprinting out materials and we are rather late in delivering
\nthem\".<\/p>\n
Muhaimin escaped from the congress venue after his opponents
\nthreatened to kill him. (nur\/prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/violence-mars-islamic-student-congress-1447893297",
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