IPB activities halted after student clash
JAKARTA (JP): The rector of Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), Professor Soleh Solahuddin, temporarily stopped lessons at the campus yesterday following a clash involving hundreds of students on Tuesday.
"We hope that the lecture activities will return to normal on Thursday (today)," Soleh told a press conference at the state- owned institute's Darmaga campus. The institute is widely recognized as one of the top universities in the country.
The fight on Tuesday afternoon left five students wounded and a number of campus facilities were damaged, Antara quoted the professor as saying.
According to the Sinar Pagi daily yesterday, at least 10 students were wounded during the brawl which continued until late at night following the arrival of hundreds of police and military officers. All casualties were treated at the Red Cross PMI hospital.
It also said that a campus security car and other facilities, such as classrooms and a rectorate room, were damaged by students carrying stones and blocks of wood.
A dispute between students of forestry and animal husbandry during Sunday's interfaculty basketball competition, which was held in conjunction with IPB's anniversary, sparked the clash, the daily quoted students as saying.
Supporters of the forestry students were upset when their rivals received more support from students of other faculties, including those from agriculture, fishery and food technology, it said.
Forestry supporters were incensed and invited the other supporters to fight, according to the paper. But Sunday's dispute caused no serious problems until it reignited on Tuesday.
Rector Soleh said yesterday that the second clash followed rumors that forestry students had intimidated those from other faculties and dominated the use of sports facilities at the campus.
As a result, students of animal husbandry, agriculture, fishery and food technology rallied outside the Forestry Faculty to protest.
"Due to the large number of students, the crowd then became involved in a conflict," Soleh said, adding that he deeply regretted the incident.
The clash would not have happened if the students had ignored rumors, which were intentionally spread by those bent on causing chaos in the campus, he said.
"The incident was purely due to this incorrect information. Actually, as intellectual people of the future, the students should have checked the information they heard."
Soleh and other IPB executives have already met with student representatives. During the meeting they agreed to return normalcy to the campus and help secure the grounds.
Participants of the meeting also agreed to set up a special body to investigate the case and ensure that those who committed crimes during the clash faced court.
"If some of our students are found guilty in the court, we also will take academic action against them," Soleh said. (bsr)