Hendro dismisses student regiment banning idea
JAKARTA (JP): City Military Commander Maj. Gen. A.M. Hendropriyono has dismissed the idea of banning the country's in- house university cadet military regiments, whose members were involved in a bloody clash on Tuesday with fellow students of the National University in South Jakarta.
"It is too early to make such a suggestion," Hendro told reporters yesterday after opening an upgrading course for city bus drivers in Serpong, some 20 kilometers west of here.
He also warned any parties not to fish in troubled waters by trying to pit one against another.
The clash, which left a command post of the university regiment members in ashes and at least five students injured, involved students grouped in the university's Association of Nature Lovers (Himpala) and regiment members (Menwa).
Hendro refused to identify the parties. But it is strongly believed that the dispute between the two groups was mainly caused by differences over their candidates for the university's rector.
A reliable police source told The Jakarta Post that the Himpala members were supporters of the late Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana while those from Menwa supported Achmad Baiquni, who later won the rector election.
According to South Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Silvanus Julian Wenas, the brawl was triggered by Friday's incident in which several Menwa members were believed to have assaulted a student of Himpala following a trivial traffic incident.
On Monday, the command post of Menwa was set on fire by a group of students who apparently had a score to settle with the regiment members.
"The students then kidnapped and cruelly tortured several regiment student members in a room at the university," Wenas said.
As of last night, at least 13 students, mostly Himpala members, were still being detained for further questioning. In the early hours of Wednesday, a total of around 100 youths believed to have been regiment members surrounded the Pasar Minggu police station and South Jakarta police precinct, asking to "borrow" the suspects.
Hendro called on members of the two belligerent groups to refrain from reacting further which would only exacerbate the situation.
Press
Meanwhile the Ministry of Education and Culture has formed a special team assigned to compile reports of the clash.
Minister Wardiman Djojonegoro said in Bandung on Wednesday that the government has no plan as yet to abolish the regiments.
"I'm not suggesting that the presence of these regiments at universities will be reviewed. On that issue, I have no comment. Let the team collect the data first," he said after presenting scholarships to about 100 high school students awarded by Pilot pencil manufacturer and Hai magazine.
Wardiman said the team is investigating what sparked the physical clashes, whether it was personal or had something to do with the institution.
"They could've been caused by personal reasons, like fighting over girlfriends or personal revenge. Should we in this case disband the regiments?"
The presence of Menwa was first questioned by members of the House of Representatives during a hearing with Wardiman in Jakarta early this month. The legislators presented clippings of newspaper reports about fights involving the regiments.
Wardiman at the time gave the same answer, stating they were isolated cases.
On Wednesday, Wardiman accused the press of giving Menwa unwarranted negative publicity. "They're okay, it's the newspapers which have been blowing things out of proportion."
Wardiman said the establishment of the regiment was based on a joint decree signed by the minister of education and culture, minister of home affairs and minister of defense and security.
He said the regulations could be tightened or improved but the decree stands.
Fights involving Menwa members should not be interpreted as meaning that the regiment cannot get along with other students.
"We have to deal with them case by case. If a husband is fighting with his wife, you can't just say that their marriage is not harmonious. There may be cases involving Menwa, but you must not generalize and then conclude that Menwa should be abolished." (bsr/pet)