Police to discuss student brawls

JAKARTA (JP): Police are holding a meeting today to discuss the question of how to handle student brawls, which are reported to be getting worse.

The meeting is being held at National Police Headquarters in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

Chief of Jakarta Police, Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo, confirmed yesterday that student brawls are increasing in both frequency and brutality.

"The number of deaths in student brawls has increased," he said.

Reports show that at least five students were stabbed to death during student brawls, which occurred in various districts over the past two weeks.

Chief of the South Jakarta Police District, Lt. Col. Sy. Wenas, said that police try to visit schools regularly, especially those whose students are often involved in brawls.

A police source said the meeting will also discuss issues which might cause brawls, such as drug abuse by students and the violation of social taboos, known as SARA -- the incitement of racial, religious, ethnic, and societal group sentiments -- of which religious passions are regarded as particularly sensitive.

Last week, Bogor police prevented student brawls which reportedly involved hundreds of students from various senior high schools, and was believed to have been caused by religious sentiments.

The anger of the students, who planned to attack a Catholic senior high school in Sukabumi, was caused by a rumor that the Koran, the holy book of Islam, had been defamed. The rumor was later proved to be untrue. (01)