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)