Students protest against bashing by soldiers
Students protest against bashing by soldiers
JAKARTA (JP): More than 350 students from Indonesia Christian
University marched to the office of the National Commission on
Human Rights yesterday in protest against soldiers who bashed
students at the university's Cawang campus Monday night.
The protesters marched from the Jl. Salemba campus carrying
banners.
At the commission's office, the students met commission
secretary-general Baharudin Lopa and demanded that the government
try all soldiers involved in the attack.
A spokesman for the students, Niko, said the Armed Forces
should be held responsible for damage caused in the attack and
that it should make an apology.
Niko told Lopa that the attack was provoked by an incident at
the Cawang campus when a soldier hit a student after he accused
the student of extorting money from a person.
When other students tried to intervene, the soldier pulled out
his military knife, he said.
Police stopped the scuffle and took the soldier to a nearby
police station, Niko said.
He said that when students went to the police station to ask
about the soldier's identity, more than 60 soldiers from
Christian University Hospital came and beat them.
They also beat other people who they thought were students, he
said.
He said one student, Suzler, was beaten and dragged to nearby
Jakarta Military Command Headquarters. He was later treated at
Ridwan Meureksa Military Hospital for serious head injuries.
Niko said the soldiers entered the Cawang campus, damaging
windows of the main campus building and a security guard counter.
At least five students were injured in the attack, which ended
early Tuesday morning.
Baharudin Lopa promised the students he would discuss the case
with Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso. He called on
students and the military to be patient until the case was dealt
with.
Jakarta Military Command Spokesman DJ Nachrowi said Wednesday
the incident started when a soldier saw a man extorting money
from another man.
He said the man became agitated when the soldier approached
him. The man and his friends then mobbed the soldier, he said.
The soldier fled to a nearby police station because he was
outnumbered, Nachrowi said.
He said the men later mobbed another soldier who was coming
out of the military headquarters.
Some soldiers saw the mob and helped their friends, he said.
He said the mob escaped and entered the university campus.
(jun)