Dozens of students, officers hurt in demo
Dozens of students, officers hurt in demo
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of protesting students from various
universities in Bandung, West Java, tried to force their way into
the building of state-owned Radio Republik Indonesia and became
locked in a clash with security personnel, Antara reported on
Thursday.
Dozens of students and security personnel were injured in a
flurry of stones thrown by both sides in the incident. Cibenying
Police chief Capt. Edy Sukiswa was among the wounded.
The news agency said Sukiswa sustained injuries to his hands
and head when he and a number of other police personnel tried to
block the students' entry into the building on Thursday morning.
Some of the victims of the clash were admitted to hospital,
but most were discharged by Thursday evening.
The incident draw the attention of residents, and caused heavy
congestion along the Jl. Diponegoro thoroughfare and around the
Gedung Sate governor's office.
The students said they wanted to broadcast their statement of
concern over the latest social and political developments in the
country. They also demanded that security authorities solve
several problems they believed endangered national unity, the
news agency said.
The radio station refused the students' request and called the
security personnel to guard the building.
Chief detective of Bandung Police Maj. Ronny Sompie said the
clash and resultant injuries occurred because the students
refused to move from the building.
"They adamantly demanded to take over RRI, while security
personnel prevented them from entering for the sake of order and
security. So a clash was inevitable," he said.
After the clash, the students dispersed.
During the peak of student demonstrations that finally forced
former president Soeharto to step aside last May, students
repeatedly tried to enter state-owned television and radio
stations in order to air their demands or statements. In some
cases, they succeeded because the station's staff allowed them to
do so.
The act was repeated during the much-protested Special Session
of the People's Consultative Assembly in November. (swe)