Rights official meets Ujungpandang students
Rights official meets Ujungpandang students
JAKARTA (JP): The secretary-general of the National Commission
on Human Rights, Baharuddin Lopa, tried yesterday to bring calm
to Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, where student protests of
government-decreed bus fare hikes have officially left three
people dead.
"There has to be a consensus so the learning activities of the
students can be resumed," Lopa said during talks at
Ujungpandang's Wirabuana military headquarters, which were
attended by student representatives, military officials and
college administrators.
The city-wide protest began on April 23, two days after the
governor decreed a 66 percent hike in public transportation
fares. Ordinary mini bus fares were increased from Rp 300 (13
U.S. cents) to Rp 500, with students fares set at Rp 200.
Students argue that in practice, the special fares for them
have never been enforced and that they usually end up paying the
regular fares.
During the three-hour meeting, the students aired their
grievances along with complaints about the way security forces
handled the demonstration.
Lopa expressed his hope that the grievances would be settled
in a peaceful manner.
Separately at the South Sulawesi provincial legislature, about
100 public mini bus drivers demanded that the fare increases go
into effect immediately.
In the wake of the protest, the governor has suspended the
fare hike.
As reported by Antara, the drivers were met by speaker Alim
Bachrie and his deputy Nurdin Mappewali.
Meanwhile in Jakarta, more than 50 students from the local
chapter of the Islamic Students Association yesterday staged a
noisy demonstration against the military's use of force in
quelling the demonstrations in Ujungpandang.
The banner-waving students expressed their anger with the
Armed Forces (ABRI) faction at the House of Representatives.
In the House foyer, they took turns chanting slogans and
reading poems denouncing the military's harsh actions.
"The use of violence is unacceptable. ABRI must punish its
members who failed to obey standard procedures," the students
said in a written statement.
The Armed Forces headquarters in Jakarta has promised to
investigate the incident in which thousands of students from
various universities in Ujungpandang took to the streets.
There have been different versions of the number of
fatalities, from the official account of three to the students'
claim of six along with about 60 students injured.
Lt. Gen. Soeyono, chief of ABRI's general affairs, has
repeatedly said the three died because they plunged into a river
near the Moslem University to evade security officers. He claimed
that the three could not swim.
The angry Ujungpandang students blocked streets and vandalized
public mini buses, or pete-pete, and police motorbikes before
police officers and troops managed to control the situation.
South Sulawesi military district chief Brig. Gen. Fachrul Razi
said on Monday that two students have been detained for carrying
a machete and burning vehicles at the time of the riot.
House member Sadiman from the ABRI faction told the protesters
yesterday that they should not doubt the Armed Forces' promise to
investigate the riot.
The ABRI faction has refused the students' demand to set up an
independent team to investigate the incident, saying that the
ABRI team can handle it alone.
Student Eko Kuntiadi questioned why security officers entered
campuses and vandalized the college's equipment as they scoured
the campus looking for protesting students.
"We heard that security officers destroyed one laboratory and
badly damaged a lot of equipment. I was wondering if that is
standard procedure in handling a protest," he said.
His colleague Esa Setiawan criticized ABRI's leadership in
Jakarta for their slow response to the incident, which was widely
covered by local and international media. (pan/mds)