SMID students hide to avoid capture

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: Two students who are said to be "political activists" of the Indonesian Students' Solidarity for Democracy (SMID) movement from Diponegoro University left their field research work after discovering they were being pursued by the police.

Francisca, 21, and Wirayanti, 20, students at the School of Social Sciences, went missing from Tirto village in the Purwokerto regency early this month. They were part of a group of students conducting research to meet the mandatory Kuliah Kerja Nyata (field work) program.

The military district in Pekalongan has confirmed that officers had attempted to pursue the two students last week but found that they had already disappeared.

SMID has been identified as part of the tiny youth organization, the Democratic People's Party, held responsible for inciting the July 27 riots. (wah/mds)