Police refuse to comment on clash between students
Police refuse to comment on clash between students
JAKARTA (JP): The North Jakarta police are refusing to say
much about the ongoing investigation into the violent clash among
students at the privately-run Tujuhbelas Agustus University in
Sunter.
As of yesterday evening, the newly-installed Chief of the
North Jakarta Police Precinct, Lt. Col. Edi Darnadi, was avoiding
city crime reporters seeking news of the latest progress in the
investigation.
Edi had been quoted by the Suara Pembaruan evening daily
yesterday as saying that a total of 13 students, some from each
of the conflicting parties, had been questioned but none were
detained.
"None of them were classified as suspects but they could be
detained at any time if there is evidence of fault, or
confessions are made," the evening daily quoted Edi as saying.
When contacted several times for confirmation of this report
yesterday, Edi's secretary said he was no longer available for
comment.
The clash on Monday between students of the School of
Engineering and members of the Student Regiment at the University
of Tujuhbelas Agustus in Sunter, North Jakarta, left three
students seriously injured.
On Tuesday, Edi said the questioning of at least 15 students
from both sides of the conflict was to begin yesterday.
Edi's apparent avoidance of the press is being construed to
mean he is attempting to put a lid on the matter of the student
brawl in line with the authority's drive to keep the atmosphere
in the city "cool" and free of unfavorable news in the run-up to
the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for the National Police Force, Brig.
Gen. IK Ratta, replied to several questions about crimes in the
city from reporters, but asked them not to print the information
in order to help maintain national stability ahead of and during
the APEC meeting.
According to Edi's earlier statement, the clash between the
two student groups on Monday afternoon was in follow-up to the
destruction of a regiment post on Friday by a number of
unidentified students after a heated argument. (bsr)