Students say sticks for self-defense

Students say sticks for self-defense

JAKARTA (JP): Students said at a media conference on Monday
that they used bamboo and wooden sticks to protect themselves
from security personnel's violent actions during student
demonstrations.

They accused security personnel of provoking students to
respond to the latter's violent actions by using the sticks for
self-defense.

"Initially, we did not want to use sticks. But we later
decided to use them after we experienced severe mistreatment by
security personnel during the demonstrations," said Jimmy Fadjar,
an activist of Forum Kota (City Forum), a loose alliance of
university student groups in the city.

Students, especially from Forum Kota, have carried over the
past few months bamboo and wooden sticks during protests. They
often camouflage the sticks by attaching Forum Kota's flags to
them.

The students sharpened the tips of the sticks during a recent
demonstration at the Senayan flyover in Central Jakarta when they
protested the deliberation of the state security bill at the
House of Representatives (DPR).

At least eight student groups took part in the demonstration
last Friday. The protest ended with a clash between the students
and security personnel. Three security personnel were injured.

Two of the eight student groups -- Forum Kota and the Student
Action Front for Reform and Democracy (Famred) -- were seen
carrying sticks during the protest. Several members of Forum Kota
were holding sharpened sticks.

Jimmy said, however, that the move (of sharpening the sticks)
was done on the protesters' initiatives.

Sharpening

"The organization (Forum Kota) did not order them to sharpen the
tips of the sticks. They did it on their own initiative," he
said, adding that Forum Kota would reprimand its members not to
sharpen them in consideration of the organization's public image.

"We will take stern measures against any Forum Kota members
who use sharpened sticks as it will tarnish our image in
society," he said.

"Who will join us in our campaign against the ruling
authorities if the community has a negative impression of us ?"

Suwardi, an activist of Famred, echoed Jimmy's statement,
saying that his organization never ordered its members to use
sticks.

"There was no agreement among group members to use sticks
during demonstrations," he said.

Students emphasized the danger of enacting the state security
bill, which they said would harm democracy.

"The bill, if enacted, will harm democratization in the
country. It will also be used by the government and military to
legalize their actions in suppressing the people's resistance
movement," Jimmy said, while he read a joint statement by several
university student groups. The conference was held at the
Perbanas business college on Jl. Rasuna Said in South Jakarta.

Student representatives who attended the conference were from
the Trisakti University Students Family (KAMTRI) and the
Communication Forum for Jakarta Universities' Student Senates
(FKSMJ). (asa)