Injuries reported in Dili commotion

JAKARTA (JP): Several people were injured yesterday when a student demonstration turned into a commotion when police tried to disperse them, the local military said yesterday.

Maj. L. Simbolon, spokesman for the East Timor military command, said 10 people were held for questioning and eight others were treated for injuries.

"Security forces did not hurt any demonstrator in the incident. Most sustained their injuries when they tried to jump over a wall during the scuffle," Simbolon told The Jakarta Post by telephone.

The incident occurred just outside the state-run East Timor University when some 30 policemen attempted to stop the protesters from marching to the nearby Provincial Legislative Council.

"They were stopped because they did not have the official permit to hold such a rally," he said.

He said those detained were not students as they claimed, which suggested that the protest might have been incited by "outsiders."

Eyewitnesses said security personnel in anti-riot gear forcibly tried to break up the demonstration by some 500 university students.

The protesters were on their way to complain about a July 13 incident that occurred on the campus in which three non East Timorese students were attacked for allegedly offending two nuns taking admission tests.

The incident prompted immediate intervention by local government and military officials. But students were unhappy with the mediation efforts and planned to refer the problem to councilors.

They decided to march to the council building, located about 500 meters from the university, after councilors failed to come to the campus yesterday as promised.

Eyewitnesses said scores of security officers forcibly dispersed the poster-waving demonstrators while campus sources claimed up to 30 protesters were injured and another 60 were detained.

Data at the Dili police precinct showed that only 15 protesters were injured and another 14 were detained. Chief of the regional police said not a single protester was killed in the incident but according to the victims' parents, three people were dead.

The protesters said they planned to hold demonstrations in Dili until Monday, when a ceremony will be held in conjunction with celebration of the anniversary of East Timor integration into Indonesia. (yac/pan)