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)