Student arrested for provoking

JAKARTA (JP): City police arrested a student on Friday for allegedly provoking a clash between protesters and security personnel during a rally marking the one-year anniversary of the resignation of former president Soeharto.

City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman said the suspect was identified as 23-year-old Jefrin Sinaga, a student at the Institute of Social and Political Sciences.

"He was spotted by witnesses yelling words like 'attack' and 'shoot' at security personnel, and urging his fellow students to move forward, ignoring police warning shots," the two-star general said on Sunday.

No fatalities were reported during the clash on Friday, which took place under the Senayan overpass at 4:15 p.m., only a few meters from the House of Representative. Two police officers were reported to have sustained injuries from stones thrown at them by protesting students.

Some 3,000 students from several groups attempted to march to the House and demand the immediate trial of Soeharto for alleged corruption during his 32 years in power.

"We'll process this student and hope that we can reveal the motives behind his acts," Noegroho said, adding that he recently received reports from members of the public who were tired of the students' street rallies.

Holding street rallies is not forbidden as long as protesters consider public safety and do not disrupt traffic, Noegroho said.

"Please, notify us so we can help clear the traffic for the public and the protesters," he said.

Noegroho also said that one of the groups protesting on Friday, the City Forum, had given prior notification to police. The number of students who participated in the protest, however, exceeded the number the group had reported.

"We can understand if they (students) want to mark the resignation of Pak Harto or want him to be tried. It's not our business, but please play by the rules," Noegroho said, referring to Law No. 9/1998 on Freedom of Expression, which states that the number of people participating in a street rally should not exceed 1,000. (emf)