Riau students run amok

PEKANBARU, Riau: Two massage parlors were burned down and several entertainment buildings vandalized by some 400 university students on Tuesday after they demonstrated for the closure of nightspots which allegedly tolerated prostitution, gambling and drug use on their premises.

The students started the protest outside City Hall on Jl. Diponegoro to demand National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi, who was visiting the province to channel police aid to the poor, take stern action against nightspots which they claimed were a cover for the illegal activities.

Gen. Roesmanhadi went outside to address the protesters.

"We will fight gambling, narcotics and prostitution together", he said.

His words failed to satisfy the students. They later broke into several nightclubs, restaurants and theaters on Jl. Riau and vandalized them.

They moved to Jl. Arengka, burning the massage parlors and damaging several bars.

Pekanbaru Deputy Police chief Col. Daniel Bakri told The Jakarta Post that nobody was detained for questioning.

"It is very difficult to detain these students. There were so many of them, and besides we don't have complete data on the names of the students."

Students also conducted another protest in front of the governor's office and lowered the national flag.

They were protesting the statement by President Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as Gus Dur, that he would detain anybody for questioning if they demanded independence for the province.

"This is our reaction to what President Gus Dur had to say about what he would do if we stated our demand for a free Riau state," a student said.

In a statement, they said the President was ignorant of Riau's history and did not understand what he was talking about. (ylt)