Medan students denounce military violence

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Dozens of university students staged a noisy rally on Thursday in front of North Sumatra University to denounce the shooting of protesters outside the headquarters of state plantation company PTP Nusantara II in Tanjung Morawa on Tuesday.

The shooting occurred after students, activists and farmers gathered to protest what they alleged was the illegal appropriation of land by the state-owned sugar cane and tobacco plantation company.

"Our friends who were detained in Tanjung Morawa have not yet been released," 22-year-old Susi Simanjuntak of Women Solidarity Action said during the rally.

Susi and the other protesters gave no precise number of students involved in the clash, but a day earlier a student said that over 30 protesters had been detained by security forces shortly after the shooting.

Police on Wednesday said at least 17 people were questioned in connection with the shooting.

Thursday's rally was attended by students from a number of organizations, including the Free Students Study Group, the Democratic Students Forum, Nommensen Discussion Committee, Medan People's Inspiration Study Group and Civil Student Aspiration.

During the rally, the students also demanded the revocation of the political role of the Indonesian Armed Forces, the end of military violence against citizens and the immediate trial of former president Soeharto for alleged corruption and abuse of power.

The rally caused heavy traffic congestion in the vicinity of the campus, including the usually busy Jl. Mansyur and Jl. Jamin Ginting, forcing the police to reroute traffic.

The students also blocked access to the protest site by piling wood and burning tires in the street.

There were no security personnel seen in the area of the campus during the rally.

In the clash on Tuesday, 16 protesters were injured when security personnel fired into a crowd of thousands of protesters gathered at the PTP Nusantara II office.

Two security personnel were also reported to have been wounded in the incident.

The wounded protesters consisted of 11 university students, two high school students and three members of the public.

Seventeen protesters have been questioned over the clash, which is believed to have started when protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails at security personnel as they tried to disperse the crowd. (39/emf)