Medan students denounce military violence

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)