ABRI says no force used in riot

ABRI says no force used in riot

JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of sociopolitical
affairs Maj. Gen. Syarwan Hamid says the military's handling of
the recent student demonstration in Ujungpandang, during which
three students died, was not a case of repression.

"It's not a case of the military repressing students or the
public," he said in a seminar on the military's role in the
country's political life at the Surabaya Institute of Technology
on Saturday.

"The approach used during the incident was actually a
persuasive one," he said. "There was no instruction from the ABRI
commander or me that our soldiers should just hit the students if
they did this or that. Not at all."

The clashes between students and the military which took place
on April 22 and 23 occurred because of "provocation", he said.
The students were protesting an increase in public transport
fares.

The military were trying to help the students and the public
transportation drivers reach some sort of agreement, when "a
psychological condition developed and provoked the troops to
enter the campuses", he said.

During the incident, hundreds of soldiers reportedly entered
some campuses, used tear gas and chased students with rattan
sticks. The military claimed they entered to restore order after
the protesting students went on a rampage.

Around 60 students were injured in the incident, while Syaiful
Bya, Adnan and Sultan Iskandar died, reportedly after plunging
into the Pampang river while evading arrest.

However, an investigation conducted by the National Commission
on Human Rights revealed indications of military violence in the
form of blood stains, spent bullets as well as damaged buildings.
There were also reports of bruises on the dead students' bodies.

Another investigation team, established by the Wirabuana
regional military command, also found indications of military
error.

Syarwan said the incident in Ujungpandang, the capital of
South Sulawesi, should be seen in its whole context. "There were
other occurrences which made some of the soldiers angry," he
said.

"Let's say a person is hungry. Another person then hits him
with a stone. The first person would of course be angry, because
he's just a human being, not an angel," he said. "If it was me
who was hit, a general, I probably wouldn't be as easily
provoked."

He called on the public, especially students, to evaluate the
incident clearly and proportionately. "If you wish to show your
solidarity toward them, by all means," he said.

Also on Saturday, about 100 students of Indonesian Moslem
University in Ujungpandang staged a demonstration in front of
their campus.

Held in anticipation of the return of South Sulawesi Governor
H.Z.B. Palaguna and the commander of the Wirabuana military
command Maj. Gen. Sulati from the haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia,
the students said they wished to once again air their discontent
of the military's response during their previous demonstrations.

Ostaf Al Mustafa from the state-run Hasanudin University said
the military's reaction caused the deaths of fellow students and
this would be difficult to forget.

Another student, Mukhmaral from the Ujungpandang Teachers'
Training Institute, again protested the military's move of
entering the campuses and "beating up people".

The demonstration ended quietly as they soon found out that
the governor was not returning as scheduled. They then disbanded
without incident.

A similar demonstration was held on the campus of the State
Institute for Islamic Studies in Yogyakarta. Around 100 students
gathered and attempted to march to the provincial legislative
council.

However, 200 riot police blocked their way. The placard-waving
and shouting students were then forced to stay inside the campus
for about three hours before they dispersed quietly.

"We demand that the government and the ABRI commander find and
punish the soldiers who were responsible for the deaths of our
fellow-students in Ujungpandang," the students said in a
statement. (20/har/mds/swe)