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)