Brawl mars Islamic students' congress

Brawl mars Islamic students' congress

YOGYAKARTA (JP): A brawl added insult to injury, marring the
21st congress of the Association of Islamic Students (HMI) here
over the weekend.

An Ujungpandang representative, identified as Iwan, needed two
stitches to his head after the flare-up that followed protests by
some participants about chairman Taufik Hidayat's accountability
speech at Saturday's session.

An exchange of words turned into an exchange of punches when
an HMI executive lost his temper and attacked a protester who was
standing on a desk, instead of the podium, to express his
disappointment to Taufik, who is completing his three-year term.

The protester, who was representing the Purwokerto, Central
Java branch, criticized Taufik for letting the country's biggest
student organization get too close to the government.

Only after another participant chanted a Holy Koran verse did
the violence stop.

A cool Taufik later said that HMI had maintained its
independence without having to become a government opposition
group.

The congress finally agreed on Taufik's accountability speech.

A minor spat surfaced as the session ended at dawn yesterday,
when the chairman of the session failed to read out the notes
which accompanied Taufik's accountability report.

Later yesterday, dozens of HMI activists from Tasikmalaya,
West Java demonstrated outside the congress, demanding support
for their colleague, Asep Ilyas, who is standing trial for
allegedly inciting riots in the town last year.

The trial which began Wednesday saw Asep and other three
defendants charged with subversion, a crime which carries a
maximum penalty of death.

Another suspect, Cicih Haeruman, is still at large and is
being tried in his absence. (23/amd)