Injuries reported in Dili commotion

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)