Students attack rival school, dozens injured

Kasparman Piliang, The Jakarta Post, Padang, West Sumatra

Hundreds of polytechnic students at Andalas University (Unand) attacked the university's School of Law on the Limau Manis campus on Thursday.

Dozens of people were injured, five severely, in the attack. Two lecturers were among those severely injured.

The attack was triggered by a minor clash during a soccer game held the previous day in which two students from the polytechnic and law school fought.

The two students continued their argument at the Pasar Baru market, some two kilometers from the Limau Manis campus, where the soccer game was held.

The following day the polytechnic student took hundreds of his fellow students with him to attack the School of Law, located one kilometer from the polytechnic campus.

Using stones, wooden sticks and empty bottles, the polytechnic students attacked any male they met on the campus. Two lecturers who attempted to stop the attack were hit with sticks. Three law students were also severely injured. The five were immediately taken to the hospital for treatment.

A number of windows in the School of Law building were shattered in the attack. Two cars and three motorcycles were also damaged.

The university administration swiftly moved to investigate the case, and pledged to take tough measures against the attackers.

"For the time being, teaching activities at the university are suspended for two days to prevent further clashes," said Firman Hasan, deputy rector of the university.

In Makassar, after two days of a massive student strike, students and campus authorities at Hasanuddin University turned to the negotiating table on Thursday and inked an agreement, Antara news agency reported.

Ambo Ala, the deputy rector of Hasanuddin University, said the students agreed to accept a decision by the university's rector to increase fees from Rp 400,000 to Rp 500,000 for social sciences and from Rp 650,000 to Rp 750,000 for exact sciences.

However, in return, the university assured that it would not raise school fees again for the remainder of the year.