Students ask police to release friends

JAKARTA: A number of students demanded on Monday that police release eight of their colleagues under police detention following their arrest on May 21 in front of the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly.

"We demand that the police release our friends," said JJ Armstrong Sembiring, a lawyer representing the student group Students Action Front for Reform and Democracy (Famred).

Police arrested eight students during a rally on May 21 which resulted in a clash between police and students.

Similarly, dozens of students of the University of Indonesia staged a peaceful rally in front of the Jakarta Police Headquarters to demand the release of the students.

"We also condemn the use of violence by police to quell the rally which is against the freedom of expression," said Galih, a protester. --JP.