Students clash with police over beating

JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of students from STM PGRI VII technical high school in Central Jakarta clashed with riot police on Wednesday after one of their peers was beaten by the officers.

After successfully driving the police out of the privately run school on Jl. Salemba Raya, the students locked the compound's front gate and pelted the officers with stones, bricks and broken glass.

Several passersby were also hit in the fray, which flared up from a long-standing dispute between students and local residents.

The students barred entry to the compound as they continued to assail the officers with debris.

The heated situation continued for two hours until an unidentified uniformed navy lieutenant colonel met the students and persuaded them to desist.

Students demanded the riot police officers apologize to them and immediately leave the scene.

The officer replied: "I am a brother (officer) of the police force and, on behalf of them, I apologize."

As the police withdrew from the area, the students kept their word and dispersed peacefully.

According to local Senen police subprecinct chief Capt. Moelyono S., the students were initially involved in a street brawl with residents of Kampung Kenari, located across from their school, in the continuation of a prolonged dispute.

"Brawls in this area are an old story. And we've had enough of them," he said.

Students were incensed when they saw one of their peers caught and beaten by the officers with a rattan stick.

The police had been guarding the nearby University of Indonesia campus. A gathering of hundreds of alumni was held on Wednesday.

One of the school's teachers, Loksa Aritonang, said: "I've shouted and asked the police not to use violence in handling my students."

Passersby and motorists watched the unfolding incident as the students remained inside their compound and listened to their friends' spontaneous speeches. A traffic snarl developed in the area.

"The police have violated our human rights. They treat us like dogs," one student said. (emf)