Students, lawyers urge probe into Yogya incident
Students, lawyers urge probe into Yogya incident
YOGYAKARTA (JP): A team of students and lawyers are calling on
the National Commission on Human Rights and Armed Forces
Commander Gen. Wiranto to investigate violence marring last
week's student demonstrations here from which dozens were injured
and seven students were still reportedly missing.
Five uniformed and two plain-clothed security officers were
injured along with 31 students in two demonstrations on Friday
and Saturday.
One of the plain-clothed officers, Yuswo Hadi, is reportedly
in critical condition after a group of students attacked him
during Saturday's demonstration after spotting his handgun and
walkie-talkie. He is currently being treated at Sardjito
Hospital's intensive care unit.
Of the 31 students requiring medical attention, two are still
hospitalized for serious facial injuries after police allegedly
beat them during Friday's demonstration.
"The Commission should pay immediate attention to the
incident, and the Armed Forces chief should punish subordinates
found to have violated procedures," student leader Iwan Satriawan
said.
The team comprises members of the Indonesian Islamic
University's Legal Aid Institute, the Yogyakarta Legal Aid
Institute, the Yogyakarta Student Senates Communication Forum and
the Institute for the Development of Legal Awareness.
Sigit, of the communication forum, claimed that as of
yesterday seven students were still missing since Friday's clash
with security personnel. They are Andrean of AMIKOM college, Boby
Barlian of Sanata Dharma University, Dony Rahmad Fikri of Gadjah
Mada University, Harsono of the Sunan Kalijaga Islamic Institute,
Ical of the Indonesian Islamic University, Iwan T. of Janabadra
University and another student only identified as Anton B.
The seven were originally reported as missing along with 31
other students who have since been accounted for.
The team also said that out of 14 people arrested Friday, only
one -- a pedicab driver, not a student, named Tupar -- was still
being held by police.
Gadjah Mada University has been the venue of relentless
student protests against the government over the past two months.
The demonstrations peaked in a bloody incident Friday when
security personnel chased taunting and jeering students into the
campus and struck some of them.
Rector Ichlasul Amal has publicly decried the police intrusion
into the campus, and ordered students not to protest on the
street in further demonstrations.
On Saturday, some 5,000 students again assembled on the campus
and continued with their critical speeches of the government. It
was at that time that some of the students spotted the two plain-
clothed officers and attacked them.
Yogyakarta Police chief Col. Bani Siswono, also deplored the
casualties among his men. "It was unnecessary and shouldn't have
happened," he said. "The officers had shown the students their
identity cards and letters of assignment (but they were beaten
anyway)," Bani said Saturday.
"We have consulted the rector and we've decided to place our
(undercover) officers in the campus (with the knowledge of the
college's administrators)," he added.
Meanwhile, students continued protests Saturday. In Bandung,
West Java, hundreds of Padjadjaran University and Pasundan
University students staged two separate demonstrations demanding
immediate and sweeping political and economic reforms in order to
settle the crisis.
In the Central Java town of Purwokerto, more than 1,500
demonstrating students of Wijaya Kusuma University marched out of
their campus, causing heavy traffic congestion on streets near
the campus.
They became involved in a minor clash with security officers
when they were blocked from marching to the local council office.
In North Sumatra's capital of Medan, some 1,500 students of
North Sumatra University called on the People's Consultative
Assembly to hold "an extraordinary session" to demand the
government to make itself accountable to the Assembly should it
fail in addressing the current situation. (23/45/21/rms/aan)