Muslim university students clash, five left stabbed

Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi

At least five people were severely stabbed and two buildings burned down after two groups of Indonesian Muslim University students clashed over an initiation program for novices.

Syahrul Fahmi, Abdul Syukur and Ade Dharmawan, who are members of the university's mountaineering association (Mapala) and two unidentified rival students from the school of engineering were rushed to two separate hospitals due to their wounds.

The students used swords and arrows during the fight.

The clash also left two buildings belonging to Mapala and the Indonesian Red Cross inside the campus burned down.

Following the brawl, the university administration suspended all academic activities until Monday for fear of further outbreaks of violence.

Tension continued to blanket the campus until the afternoon despite the presence of police. The security troops stood by around the campus at the request of the warring groups and the university rector.

"Security has been restored so far, although we have to withdraw ourselves from the campus," Panakkukang Police Subprecinct chief Adj. Comr. Namora Simanjuntak, told The Jakarta Post.

There were no immediate reports of arrests following the melee, which resulted from a spat over whether the orientation program for new students would include physical exercises regularly adopted in the past under the supervision of the mountaineering students. The school of engineering students wanted change.

A group of angry Mapala members raided a boarding house where some school of engineering students lived on Jl. Baiturrahman on Thursday evening.

In response, the vengeful students burned down the Mapala building a few hours later.

Security troops dispersed the groups and restored peace.

But the clash resumed on Friday when a larger group of Mapala members raided the engineering students at their own campus around 10.30 local time. The fight lasted only half an hour, thanks to the immediate arrival of police, but the outcome was almost fatal.

All the three Mapala members were sent to the 45 General Hospital, while the two engineering students were rushed to the Faisal Islamic Hospital.