Over 90 injured in student-military clash

Over 90 injured in student-military clash

JAKARTA (JP): At least 80 protesting students and 14 security
personnel were injured during a serious clash between police and
soldiers at a joint rally of some 4,000 students near the House
of Representatives building on Thursday.

As of late last night two students, including a female, had
suffered gunshot wounds in their back. The two, identified as
Indria of Tarakanita College and Iyan Suliva of Pancasila
University, were treated at the St. Carolus hospital in Central
Jakarta.

Most of the students suffered bruises and broken arms or legs
and decided to leave the nearby hospitals, such as Mintohardjo
Navy hospital and the Jakarta hospital, and a clinic at the Atma
Jaya University, after receiving first aid.

The unrest which started at about 5 p.m. turned brutal as the
students armed with rocks, sticks, iron bars, bamboo spears and
molotov cocktails reacted harshly to the police and troops' order
to disperse.

The police and soldiers, about 500 in number, then fired tear
gas canisters and rubber bullets at the students while other
officers chased and beat the protesters with batons.

It was the worst unrest between the security authorities and
students in the capital since the Semanggi Black Friday clash of
Nov. 13 where at least 10 people died.

The Thursday protesters, attempting to force their way to the
House, consisted of students from various organizations, such as
the Committee of Students and People for Democracy (Komrad), City
Forum (Forkot), Communication Forum of Jakarta Student Senate
(FKSMJ), Collective Forum (Forbes), Pancasila University Student
Movement for Reform (Gempur) and Student Action Front for Reform
and Democracy (Famred).

The students demanded the release of their colleagues who were
arrested in a protest on the previous day and urged President
B.J. Habibie and Armed Forces Chief Gen. Wiranto to take the
responsibility for the deaths of other students in clashes with
the military last month.

The groups came from different directions before making a huge
crowd on the street a few meters away from the House.

Throughout their rally the students yelled "Revolution until
we die!"

After their arrival on the scene at about 2 p.m., they opened
a free speech forum in front of the security cordon under the
Senayan flyover.

At about 4:05 p.m., they began to push the security cordon and
repeated their move three times before they managed to break
through and run toward the House.

Some of the student groups started pelting stones at the
police officers and attacked them with bamboo spears to force
their way through.

A student was seen exposing his body as if preparing himself
to be shot at by the soldiers. "Here..here," he shouted.

Another student, who tried to persuade his fellows to retreat,
recalled: "We can hardly control them anymore."

The crack of shooting and thin mist were heard and seen every
time the tear gas was fired in reply to volleys of stones,
molotov cocktails and other things thrown at the security cordon.

The students also set ablaze police and military tents and
took away police jackets and their riot equipment, such as
helmets and shields.

After performing the evening prayer at 6 p.m., the students
calmed down and started to retreat.

Some of them later burned cardboard boxes and traffic signs on
Jl. Gatot Subroto.

The students later dispersed into the night, many going back
to Atma Jaya University.

At about 8 p.m. last night, an overloaded bus taking student
protesters home was shot at by soldiers near the Cawang flyover
in East Jakarta, some of the students said.

The shots punctured the vehicle's tires and brought it to a
halt. Uniformed troops then rushed onto the bus and beat the
students, leaving at least 21 wounded.

"At least one passenger was shot and is now being treated
here," said a nurse at the nearby UKI hospital in Cawang.
(ivy/emf/edt/bsr)