Students beat up senior college figures

Students beat up senior college figures

Antara News Agency/Surabaya

Two members of the Adhi Tama Institute of Technology (ITATS)'s
rector's council under the leadership of IK Shandi (former
foundation chairman), Kristiawan MM (head of the council) and I
Putu Sutisna (council member and son of IK Shandi), were beaten
up by hundreds of students on Wednesday.

The students also attacked former security chief Made (a
serving member of the Marines), and a lecturer, Indiono, at about
10 a.m. I Putu Sutisna and Made were earlier taken to a security
post before being put in a truck and whisked to the East Surabaya
police station.

Sutisna was assaulted by students who were waiting outside the
institute before he was brought to the truck at around 11:30 a.m.
Made and two of his men, Abas and Simpe Sigara, as well as a
watchman, Mat Muhi, eventually emerged from the room at 12 noon,
but were not harmed by the students as the situation had already
returned to normal.

The council members were assaulted by the students in various
ways, including with clubs and trash cans. They were also
punched, kicked and stamped on.

The protest was sparked by the presence of Kristiawan and
Sutisna, who had sent 40 uniformed and 60 plainclothes security
guards, including dozens of alleged thugs, to enter the
university grounds at about 5 a.m.

"They came at dawn and posted notices saying that ITATS had
been robbed and taken over by irresponsible persons, and that the
students were being given a two-day holiday on July 13 and July
14," said the head of ITATS' employees and lecturers association
(PKD), Ikhsan.

Ikhsan, who led the protest, alleged that the IK Shandi-led
presidium had hired thugs to steal documents and computer data
from the deputy rector's office in order to remove evidence of
alleged corruption committed by IK Shandi.

Separately, East Surabaya Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Djuansih
said that he had deployed dozens of officers to keep the peace at
the university, but acknowledged that they had failed to act
decisively as they were not sure whether they had jurisdiction to
enter the autonomous institute.

"However, we have detained about 100 people who tried to enter
and occupy the institute. They have been charged and will be
prosecuted," he said.

Meanwhile, Puspo Sussongko, the secretary to the Rector's
Council led by Abdul Zikri (the current foundation chairman),
said that the documents and files allegedly stolen by IK Shandi's
supporters had been copied and had been handed over to a team of
auditors and investigators from the East Java Police.

When asked about the anarchic behavior of the students, he
said, "Everything was out of control. The students were upset and
angry about the use of the thugs," said Zikri.

Zikri added that his side had sought police assistance to
evict Kristiawan and Putu Sutisna from the institute before it
was too late. "But they wouldn't go and finally the students were
provoked," he said.