Activists condemn harsh measures against students
Activists condemn harsh measures against students
JAKARTA (JP): Human rights activists have condemned the
government's harsh measures against widespread student
demonstrations, which have increasingly resulted in bloody
clashes.
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
(Kontras) told a media conference here yesterday that the
security apparatus' repressive measures reflected an attitude
that would not lead to an improvement of the situation.
"Repressive measures are useless and will only worsen the
situation," the commission's executive, Munir, said reading a
two-page statement.
The statement said the harsh measures would also tarnish the
Armed Forces' (ABRI) image before the watchful eye of the
international community.
Kontras urged ABRI to refrain from resorting to violent
measures in dealing with the student protests.
"The Armed Forces should change their attitude toward the
student protests," said Mulyana W. Kusumah, a member of Kontras'
advisory council.
Kontras claimed yesterday that hundreds of students had been
injured from protests which have been occurring throughout the
country on an almost daily basis since February.
Kontras said that during an investigation in Ujungpandang in
South Sulawesi, Malang in East Java and Surakarta in Central
Java, it found that security forces sometimes used live bullets.
The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI)
said in a statement Wednesday that the security forces' harsh
measures against the student rallies had violated human rights.
"Coercive measures are shortcut ways to obstruct the freedom
of expression," the two-page statement signed by PBHI's executive
director, Hendardi, said.
Earlier yesterday, students from Jayabaya University came to
the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute office to confirm reports of the
shooting of three students during a clash Thursday with security
forces in front of their campus in Cimanggis, West Java.
Student representative Nurohmat said the three were shot by
rubber bullets and rushed to nearby Tugu Ibu Hospital.
The students, accompanied by assistant dean Ahmad Dahlan,
brought dozens of rubber bullet shells, a bloodied shirt and
scraps of tear gas canisters.
"We will file a complaint to Armed Forces Chief Gen. Wiranto
and the National Military Police," Nurohmat said.
At least 18 other students were also injured during the clash,
Jakarta Legal Aid Institute spokesman Hotma Tibul Hutapea said.
Meanwhile, Benny Rhamdani from Sam Ratulangi University in
Manado was in critical condition yesterday as he entered the
fifth day of his hunger strike at the local office of the
Indonesian Legal Aid Institute.
He, however, refused to be taken to the hospital for
treatment, Munir said.
Benny and Wahab Talaohu of Jakarta University began hunger
strikes Monday to protest the decision by the administration of
Sam Ratulangi University to ban student demonstrations on campus.
(byg)